By By KERRY WHIPPLE BEAN – Publisher
Hurricane Ivan struck Brewton with the intensity of a Category 2 storm, according to officials at the time - although residents and local emergency management officials believe wind speeds were even higher.
With hurricane season under way and strong storms expected again, Brewton could find itself in the path of another major hurricane this year or in the future.
But in Escambia County, no buildings used as shelters are rated safe to withstand a Category 3 or above hurricane.
That doesn't necessarily mean they wouldn't; it's just difficult to get an architect or engineer to rate a building and determine what windload it could withstand during a hurricane or other storm.
Getting buildings rated is also expensive, not just because of engineers' professional fees but because of the liability they assume in rating a structure they didn't build.
Adams, on the job just a few weeks, has already been in many meetings with county officials and other stakeholders in hurricane preparedness to determine the best plan for sheltering residents during a storm.
Finding funds to hire someone to evaluate buildings is a difficult proposition.
Mobile County recently received a $100,000 grant to pay for engineers to rate its hurricane shelters - and that money only paid for evaluation of about 10 buildings.
As a non-coastal county, Escambia County might have a harder time finding grant funding for the rating process, county officials said. &#8220I'm not aware of any funds available,” Sanks said.
But Adams isn't ready to give up. &#8220We are addressing (the shelter issue),” he said. &#8220It's a time-consuming process. We're not giving up yet.”
The national Red Cross has approved the shelters W.S. Neal Middle School, Little Escambia Baptist Church in Flomaton, Escambia County High School and Brewton Elementary School for use as shelters until the county can evaluate those or other buildings, Adams said.
Normally, Red Cross volunteers are not able to work in a shelter that isn't rated.
But, &#8220what frequently happens is that some of the volunteers will go in and work at the shelters,” Sanks said.
For a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, the shelters will open, Adams said. If the storm is upgraded to a Category 3, they will remain open. But if county officials already know a Category 3 is headed to Brewton, the shelters will not open.
Jefferson Davis Community College was on the state's new shelter plan, but officials are not sure how the facilities there might fit in with an overall evacuation plan. Sanks said that because JDCC is in an area at risk for damage, the buildings might be used as a shelter after a storm, and then only for designated evacuees.
When to use shelters
Many different scenarios exist for the need to open hurricane shelters in Escambia County.
As a host-risk area, Brewton and surrounding communities might need to shelter coastal residents escaping a storm - and also might need to shelter local residents if the area takes a direct hit from a strong storm, as Brewton did during Ivan.
After a storm hits, longer-term facilities are sometimes needed to workers who come to clear streets or repair power lines in the area.
And, as many communities saw after Hurricane Katrina, a devastating storm of that magnitude could leave coastal residents in need of shelter for weeks, not just days.
Making the decision to open a shelter is a difficult one, county officials said.
Under the state's emergency management plan, DHR workers help staff shelters - but after a storm hits, those employees would be stretched thin if they work shelters, because they are also responding to other needs, such as food stamp requests.
An additional complication, Sanks said, is that Escambia County sits right above Escambia County, Fla. - and evacuees from the coast often head toward Brewton to find shelter.
County officials sometimes wait until later to open shelters so that spots will be available to local residents. &#8220It's not that we don't want to provide shelter,” Sanks said. &#8220If we're in a Category 3 hurricane, this is not the safest place for people to be.”
Making the decision to open shelters and recommend evacuation is also tricky because storm paths can change.
Should you leave?
The county commission has discussed identifying some &#8220shelters of last resort” - buildings Adams described as &#8220the best we can find.”
Each person entering would have to sign a release staying he or she felt safer there than at their house.
But should you evacuate if a hurricane is headed toward Brewton?
Adams said that's a difficult question to answer. &#8220Each storm is different,” he said.
Even a &#8220mandatory evacuation” is wording only, Adams said. &#8220You can't force someone to leave their house,” he said.
But he said he would encourage anyone who lives in a mobile home or in low-lying, flood-prone areas to go to a shelter or evacuate the area in the event of any level of hurricane.
In any event, Adams is determined to be ready. &#8220We hope that by the time a storm hits we will have a firm plan in place,” he said.