Etowah County recieves FEMA grant for storm shelters

The Gadsden-Etowah County Emergency Management Agency has received a $615,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be used mainly for community storm shelters.

Gadsden-Etowah County EMA Director Mike Bryant said a letter from Gov. Robert Bentley about the grant money indicates priority should be given to establishing community storm shelters. He said EMA personnel would be meeting soon with community leaders to discuss establishing more shelters, because a letter of intent for the use of the money must be submitted by Oct. 27.

He said County commissioners should be thinking about where storm shelters might be needed, and that some cities and communities including Rainbow City, Egypt and Mountainboro have expressed interest in having a shelter.

In the last year, community shelters have been placed in Southside and Gallant, and two have been placed in the Coates Bend community. The shelters are FEMA certified.