Tuscaloosa County Approves $81K For New Samantha Storm Shelter

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa County Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved setting aside $81,000 in federal aid money to be put toward a second community safe room for the Samantha community in northern Tuscaloosa County.

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In terms of the costs of the project, $20,000 will be set aside for site work and underground infrastructure, while roughly $60,000 will be used on above-ground construction. It was prompted, officials previously said, by the rapid population growth in northern Tuscaloosa County.

The money for the 65-person shelter will come from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Revenue Loss Replacement unrestricted funds. Any overages for the concrete pad installation or utility hookups will be covered by District 1 Community Development funds and will require Commission approval.

The current 48-person shelter in Samantha, which sits on Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority property, was paid for by a previous FEMA grant, with the new shelter expected to be slightly larger in terms of capacity.

"We want to provide as much safety and security as we can," District 1 Commissioner Stan Acker said on Wednesday.

The Tuscaloosa County Road and Bridge Department will perform site prep work and coordinate with PARA on the project.

Samantha Volunteer Fire Department Chief Blake Cannon previously told Patch that, with so many people moving to the Samantha community, the department has been left no choice but to adapt in numerous ways to handle the number of occupants at the safe room.

Samantha VFD, in the form of a resolution on May 24, approved to modify the operation agreement of the current shelter to include the new one.

"The original storm shelter was outgrown almost from the start," Cannon said. "The last few tornado warnings have left many people standing outside the shelter or sitting in their cars because there was not enough room to get in it and that's even with people standing on the seats and exceeding the recommended occupant number. This new storm shelter is a much needed addition to our community for the safety of those who live here."

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