Stoddard County school district proposed to house tornado safe room

ADVANCE, Mo. -- The Advance School District is one of five districts in Missouri proposed by Gov. Jay Nixon for a tornado safe room.

Nixon announced Monday he authorized the State Emergency Management Agency to proceed with proposals for tornado safe rooms at schools in Stoddard, Lincoln, St. Charles, Texas and Webster counties.

"We have seen too often the devastation that tornadoes and severe weather can bring to communities in Missouri and neighboring states, and that's why I'm committed to utilizing available funding wherever possible to help build community safe rooms, particularly in our schools," Nixon said.

The safe room proposed in Stoddard County would be 6,700 square feet. It would shelter about 1,000 people.

Community safe rooms are specially designed and engineered to withstand 250-mile per hour winds, often using 14-inch precast concrete and steel-reinforced doors. Walls and roof sections are capable of withstanding impacts from wind-borne debris that can act as missiles.

Pertinent address:

Advance, Mo.