Tuscaloosa County Considers Funding For Second Samantha Storm Shelter

SAMANTHA, AL — The rapidly-growing Samantha community in northern Tuscaloosa County could soon be on the receiving end of the necessary funding to finance the construction of a second safe room for residents during severe weather events.

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The Tuscaloosa County Commission on Wednesday will vote on $81,000 for the project, with $20,000 set aside for site work and underground infrastructure, while roughly $60,000 will be used on above-ground construction. The Tuscaloosa County Road and Bridge Department will perform site prep work and coordinate with Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority if Commissioner's green-light the project.

The money for the project, if approved, will come from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Revenue Loss Replacement Unrestricted funds.

Once the shelter is constructed, operating duties and costs will be the responsibility of the Samantha Volunteer Fire Department. The operating agreement was approved by Samantha VFD on May 24 to include the new storm shelter.

"This area continues to see growth and the existing shelter has been well over capacity during several recent storm events," District 1 County Commissioner Stan Acker told Patch. "Getting a new 65-person capacity shelter installed next to the current shelter will provide the community with much needed additional capacity during storms ... I really want to emphasize the partnerships involved here with the County Commission, Samantha Volunteer Fire Department and PARA. To me, community service is working together to enhance the quality of life for our residents and this is a very good example of that."

Samantha VFD Chief Blake Cannon agreed that the rapid growth in northern Tuscaloosa County has put on a strain on resources, which underscores the need for the new shelter.

Cannon also thanked the County Commission for its continued support ahead of the vote.

"With so many people moving to the Samantha community, we have been having to adapt in numerous ways to handle the number of occupants for many necessary safety concerns," Cannon said. "The original storm shelter was outgrown almost from the start. 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."

The next regular meeting of the Tuscaloosa County Commission is set for Wednesday, June 1 at 9 a.m.

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