CALHOUN COUNTY COMMISSION APPROVES AGREEMENT FOR COMMUNITY SAFE ROOMS

Calhoun County, Alabama — Thursday, July 23rd, 2020.

Calhoun County Commissioners unanimously have voted to approve an agreement with the State of Alabama under Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

This type of federal grant provides funding for communities after they have experienced a severe weather event.  

Due to the presidentially declared disaster occurring in the State of Alabama in March 2018 the Calhoun County Commission was able to apply to this grant program.

Several applications throughout Calhoun County were submitted for the mitigation grant program to build tornado safe rooms for communities, and to date, two of the projects have been approved by FEMA. The two community safe rooms that have been approved at this time, include: The Nance’s Creek at the community park and in the Angel Community at the ballfields at the intersection of Cedar Springs Road and Cedar Springs Drive.

The agreement states that the federal funding will provide 75% of funding and the County will provide the remaining 25%.  The local county government contribution could be through in kind services.

While community safe room were approved FEMA did NOT approve individual’s household safe rooms to be built as a result of this particular disaster.

The other applications submitted by are still under review by FEMA.

For updated information on COVID-19, please visit www.calhounema.org/latest-updates.