City Manager Marianne Elfert announced Tuesday a grant of $600,000 has been made available for homeowners to build storm shelters and safe rooms.
A total of $300,000 will be available to Lone Grove residents, while the additional $300,000 will be open to all Carter County residents who live outside the city limits of both Ardmore and Lone Grove.
The money is being offered through a hazard mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Elfert said the grant had been two weeks in the making. The money only became available recently from unused disaster mitigation funds.
“This is a gift to the residents of Lone Grove who were the hardest hit during the tornado,” she said. “This is a blessing from heaven for our town.”
Eight Lone Grove residents died during the Feb. 10 tornado.
“Had we had shelters, I don’t know if those people would be with us, but if we can do anything to minimize loss of life, it’s critical that we do that for our citizens,” Elfert said.
Carter County Emergency Management Director Paul Tucker said that all Carter County residents outside of Ardmore and Lone Grove are eligible, including residents of Healdton and Wilson, but no program is available for Ardmore residents.
“I can’t cover Ardmore,” Tucker said. “Ardmore has a mitigation plan in place, so I wouldn’t be able to cover them, unfortunately.”
Tucker is trying to determine what percentage of Ardmore residents have storm shelters.
Since residents have to own the land upon which the shelters are built, mobile home park residents are not eligible.
“I know there is some state legislation proposed, and things legislators are working on,” Elfert said. “There are other initiatives working on those community-type or group shelters.”
The money will be offered in the form of rebates of 75 percent of the installation cost of either an above-ground safe room or underground shelter up to $2,000. Applicants won’t receive rebates until their applications are approved.
The city manager said that safe rooms can only be constructed in homes built after June 2003. Older homes will only qualify for a rebate on underground shelters.
Once applicants are accepted, they must contract a shelter builder to install a FEMA certified structure. Applicants are free to choose any contractor, as long as the shelter of choice is FEMA certified. The shelter has to be completed within six months, and a 90-day progress report must be submitted to the agency with which the applicant applied.
After the shelter is complete, a Storm Shelter Administrator must inspect the structure, and the owner must provide a validation form that has been signed and notarized by the contractor, along with a receipt for payment. The rebate payment will be processed within 30 to 90 days.
Lone Grove residents can get their applications by making an appointment at City Hall by calling (580) 657-3111. Carter County residents can obtain applications by contacting the Carter County Emergency Management office at (580) 223-7937.
Phil Banker 221-6542
