More than 800 tornadoes touchdown annually in the United States. It may come as no surprise the United States leads the world in tornadoes. Humid weather patterns and colliding airmasses produce a litany of storms from the Midwest to the Deep South. Unique geographic conditions make a dangerous situation even more dire. Tornadoes roam without impunity on the wide open prairies. Gently rolling hills and crowded tree lines in the Deep South conceal tornadoes in the dead of night, making victims especially dangerous. But severe weather is not a new trend in storm-stricken areas. In fact, dangerous weather patterns are producing more twisters than ever before in places that rarely see such action. So, if public awareness and forecasting is also at an all-time high, why are you so many people injured from cyclones ever year? As with anything of value, it comes down to money. Cost remains one of the biggest obstacles in securing funding for a safe room. And we understand. Tough, life-saving steel tornado shelters aren’t cheap. In Mississippi, federal officials have took note of this discrepancy and launched the individual safe room program.
What is The Individual Safe Room Program?
Although well outside the perimeter of what is the traditional “Tornado Alley” of America, Mississippi still gets more than its fair share of twisters. More than 30 touchdown in the Gulf state every year, putting it within the Top 10 states nationwide. Understanding the human cost of life from dangerous tornadoes, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is launching the Individual Safe Room Program. This financial incentive program is designed “to help residents in disaster-prone areas build a safe room/storm shelter for severe weather.” The application process is open from Aug. 1 – Oct. 31, 2022.
What Does the Funding Cover?
According to the program’s website, “applicants could be eligible for a 75% reimbursement or up to $3500 for the cost of installing a safe room. With $2.5 million, MEMA anticipates building over 600 safe rooms with this current grant money. These funds cannot be backdated. The program works under the simple premise that allows eligible Mississippi residents to get money back from the building or installing a safe room/storm shelter in their homes or on their property. Reimbursement is not given until construction or installation of the safe room is completed with full documentation. To apply for the program, click over to my.msema.org. The application must be completed online.
Who Qualifies for Funding?
First the bad news: funding is limited, so it’s important you submit an application as soon as possible. The good needs is that the programs offers protection for a wide demographic. Residents from the following counties are eligible for funding.
- Clay
- Humphreys
- Issaquena
- Lowndes
- Monroe
- Sharkey
- Yazoo
- Warren
Why is This Program So Important?
Tornadoes are increasing in frequency. Although Mississippi residents have contended with severe weather for decades, the intensity is likely to tick up in during the coming years. Meteorologists now believe that Tornado Alley is shifting from the Midwest to the Deep South. This means that states like Mississippi and Alabama could even surpass Texas and Oklahoma in annual tornado touchdowns. Now is the time to secure protection for not only your family, but also future generations! U.S. Safe Room has engineered a line of steel safe rooms and tornado shelters that can be retrofitted into any home or office.