NATCHEZ, Miss. – The state has a grant program to provide money to help property owners build personal storm shelters.
A maximum of $3,500 is available to reimburse each eligible property owner who builds a certified safe room, said Adams County Emergency Management Director Brad Bradford. A maximum of 38 Adams County applicants will be selected at random through a lottery process conducted by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. The deadline to apply is Nov. 30.
The private storm shelters can be above ground or below ground, Bradford said. Applicants must have their shelter plans approved by MEMA before installing the structures. Bradford noted those built within Natchez must also meet city building requirements.
This is a reimbursement program. Eligible applicants must pay upfront the building costs and are then reimbursed partially by MEMA after structures are inspected. A grant will cover 75 percent of the construction costs, but the maximum awarded is $3,500.
The storm shelter grants are being provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
More information is available at MEMA’s website: https://www.msema.org/about/about-mema/mitigation/grant-funding/statewide-residential-safe-room-grant-program
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