Storm shelter at Barnett-King Center in Marion now 'fully operational'

A storm shelter located at the Barnett-King Center in Marion is now "fully operational," said an announcement from Perry County Commission Chairman Albert Turner Jr. 

Turner said that the shelter is a FEMA rated structure that will be able to withstand a category F5 tornado. It holds up to 90 people and is reportedly the first of its kind in Marion. 

"The $135,000 fully installed shelter will be used by Marion residents who live in mobile homes and other unsafe housing," Turner said. "Commissioner Anthony Long said the location of a storm shelter in Marion is an example of his commitment to securing a safe place for Marion residents to shelter in place during violent weather."

The shelter was first ordered by the commission in November of 2022. Turner said that Perry County now has three shelters online, with one having a gas generator being installed at the County Road 64 East Perry Improvement Association Building. 

Turner's announcement also mentioned that a fourth shelter will be ordered next summer and that a that a brick-and-mortar building will go out for bid at the Francis Marion School campus for a storm shelter in 2024. 

"These two additional shelters will be purchased through the Perry County EMA as part of a federal grant awarded to the Alabama EMA," he said.