Special Needs Storm Shelter

Evacuating from a hurricane is challenging for everyone affected...but for special needs residents, the difficulty of leaving home and finding safe refuge is even greater. But in Baldwin County, special needs evacuees are getting much-need help...in the form of a new, special needs storm shelter. The 28-thousand square foot facility will be built next year in the Robertsdale Industrial Park. The building should be able to withstand 200 mile per hour winds and will hold nearly 400 special needs evacuees.

"This is great news," says Kathy Fleet, executive director of the Association For Retarded Citizens of Baldwin County. "We can keep them right here in our shelter and they'll be close to home and in a familiar environment."

Currently, special needs evacuees are housed for a limited time at Bay Minette Middle School then sent to a facility in Tuscaloosa. The new shelter opening will be a win-win scenario for everyone involved.

"Once the building is built, that's going to give us an opportunity to house other evacuees at Bay Minette Middle School," says Renee' Cook with Baldwin County Emergency Management. "We'll open the school up to the general public when the special needs shelter is built and we'll be able to house an additional 500 spaces for the public."

U-S Senator Jeff Sessions secured a four million dollar grant to help build the special needs shelter in Robertsdale.