Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Seminar March 11 For Tornado Safe Rooms

Tornado safe rooms and wind resistant construction is the topic of a seminar open to the public and building professionals on Sat., March 11, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Jones Performing Arts Center on the campus of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia.

Dr. Ernst Kiesling, a leading wind researcher and head of the team of Texas Tech University's shelter program, is the keynote speaker. His team developed the shelter designs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) publication, Taking Shelter From the Storm, which includes construction plans and cost estimates for safe rooms.

Simpson Strong Tie Company engineer Randy Shackelford will hold a tornado and wind resistant construction workshop from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Jones Performing Arts Center. Simpson is a world leader in wood-to-wood, wood-to-concrete, and wood-to-masonry connectors and wind resistant products and helps people build safer structures economically.

Tours of a safe room shelter will be conducted on the parking lot by Keep Safe Industries and the local representative, Arkansas Storm Room. Storm cellar product information will be available.

The event is hosted by Project Impact city of Arkadelphia, a National Federal Emergency Management Agency initiative.

Project Impact motivates public and private sector participation in actions to make cities more resistant to floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and other costly natural hazards.

For mor information contact Linda Thompson, Project Impact coordinator at 246-1814 or Barbara Holt, Clark County Cooperative Extension Service at 246-2281.