BY SARAH STEPHENS
EAN OWNER/EDITOR
With the Possibility of Severe Weather in the Forecast for Easter Sunday, Officials say ‘Safer Places’ Will be Open in the Event of a Severe Weather Watch or Warning across Autauga, Elmore Counties.
For information about Safer Places in Elmore County, visit the Elmore County EMA Facebook Page. For a list of shelters in Elmore County, visit https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=13RfRjxnAb9TQrM_YmA_JY111ikU&ll=32.570056143512076%2C-86.13548559999998&z=11
“I want everyone to understand, shelters don’t just open up automatically. They open when we are under a tornado watch. It takes about 15 minutes to get to facility and open,” Elmore County EMA Director Keith Barnett told the EAN. “Watches are usually issued hours before storms will move in. So, there will be plenty of time for folks to get there. Bring your supplies with you, such as bottled water, snacks, medicine.”
As for the link above to the map of locations in Elmore County, before you leave to head to a safer place, check the icon on the map to make sure it is open.
“We cannot guarantee they will all be open, it depends on availability of people. Two weeks during severe weather in our area, 16 of the 21 did open, and we hope we will at least have those numbers,” Barnett said. “We update that map after we activate them. They will show green if open. If they have any special requirements, all of that is listed on the site under that Safer Places icon.”
In Autauga County, these are three shelters listed that could be open due to a watch or warning for severe weather: Posey’s Crossroads Baptist Church and Boone’s Chapel Church in the county. The Public Safety Building in Prattville will also be available. Masks will be provided in Autauga County, due to COVID-19. As in Elmore County, these locations are not open to the public until a Tornado watch is issued.
For updates from Autauga County EMA, follow them on Facebook or click https://www.prattvilleal.gov/county/autauga-county-ema.html
In Elmore County, those seeking shelter are asked to bring their own masks, As everyone knows, masks are extremely hard to come by right now for state and county entities. As of the writing of this article, there is no governor’s directive on the use of masks for open shelters.
However, please bring some type of mask/face covering with you if possible. Because of the large number of shelters that could be open in Elmore County, there is no guarantee masks will be available.
The information below is from Bart Mercer, Elmore County Commission, District 4.
With severe storms forecast for this Sunday the County Commission has released the below information in relation to Safer Places and Social Distancing.
With the impending severe weather expected for Sunday and while we are still practicing social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to remind everyone that the protocol for the activation of Safer Places in Elmore County will remain unchanged. We will notify the Safer Places that Elmore County is under a watch/ warning and each Safer Place can respond if they will be able to open or not. Elmore County EMA will post updates during each event as Safer Places activate and open. You can stay informed of these updates through the EMA app, website or social media feeds.
The decision to open a Safer Place in Elmore County is always made by the individual facility. Safer Places will be provided the latest recommendations regarding COVID-19 from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), Should a Safer Place be opened, individuals utilizing the facility will be asked to follow the same CDC and ADPH guidelines that are in effect the day of the event.
Should you have questions regarding the Safer Places program, please contact the Elmore County EMA office at 334-567-6451 or email ecema@elmoreco.org.
What are Safer Places?
The purpose of the Safer Place Program is to facilitate the opening of pre-designated areas for citizens seeking a safer place prior to and during severe weather conditions. The Safer Place Program is not intended for long-term opening of a building for a mass care shelter. Instead the intent of the program is to provide a safer place (not safe as in a FEMA approved Safe Room), for individuals to seek shelter during severe weather (tornado, extreme cold or extreme heat). There are no meals or services provided by the host facility. Citizens are encouraged to bring anything they may need to sustain themselves (i.e. food, medicine, etc.). The safer place locations are not advertised as “tornado shelters” or “safe rooms” but as a location of last resort for those who need a safer place to stay prior to and during a severe weather event or during times of extreme cold or heat.
