Western Kentucky 4H Camp Safe Room (Dawson Springs)

Kentucky 4-H proposes to construct a new, multi-use, stand alone, 2,116 square foot FEMA 361 compliant tornado safe room at the West KY 4-H Camp (WK 4-H Camp) to provide near-absolute protection to a year round camp participants and employees who occupy 18 separate buildings on the WK 4-H Camp grounds. These structures include 15 cabins, 250 occupant educational center, and dining and recreational facilities. The new safe room will be centrally located onsite for ease of access of youth and adults from all areas of the grounds. Each year more than 3,360 youth and adults participate in 4-H camps, programs and events at the WK 4-H Camp. More than 3,250 youth from 37 counties participate in events there with more than 1,100 adults assisting and leading programming each year. At one given time there are up to 426 youth and adults at the WK 4-H Camp, and there is no proper tornado safe room for them to go to for shelter in the event of tornadoes or other natural disasters. There is a great need for a tornado safe room to keep the youth and adults at the WK 4-H Camp during natural disasters/storms. In 2012, there were 26 extreme weather events reported in the National Climatic Data Center records, which included extreme cold/wind chill, flash flood, flood, frost/freeze. Funnel cloud, hail, heavy snow, high wind, strong wind, thunderstorm wind, tornado, winter storm and/or winter weather events. There were 10 thunderstorm wind events and one tornado in Hopkins County in 2012. There were 16 extreme weather events recorded in 2013, of which two were thunderstorm wind events, one was a funnel cloud event, and one was a tornado. The number of extreme weather events in 2014 increased to 19, of which three were thunderstorm wind events and five were funnel cloud events. From January to July 27, 2015, nine extreme weather events have occurred, including three winter storms, one thunderstorm wind event and one funnel cloud event. Hopkins County, KY neighbors Webster County, which was affected during the March 3-9, 2015 (FEMA-4218-DR-KY) winter storm that caused flooding, landslides and mudslides, as well as Caldwell County, which was affected during the February 15-22, 2015 (FEMA-4216-DR-KY) winter storms, snowstorms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides. There is no adequate shelter from severe weather, regardless of the season of the year, at the WK 4-H Camp. The WK 4-H Camp is in an area prone to severe weather. A few years ago, the area in which the WK 4-H Camp is located experienced a severe ice storm as well as remnants of Hurricane Ike, both of which caused significant damage to the WK 4-H Camp property. In the summer of 2014, two tornadoes touched down within five miles of the WK 4-H Camp. As a result of the high winds during the tornadoes, there was roof and tree damage on the Camp property, as well as one small building destroyed. Campers had to take cover in the WK 4-H Camp dining hall, which is a wooden structure with many windows, or individual cinderblock cabins, because there is not currently an appropriately safe tornado shelter room on the property, which puts up to 426 youth and adultsf lives at risk at one time. The WK 4-H Camp is located in located in Dawson Springs, KY (Hopkins County). The project site location is 4354 4h Camp Drive, Dawson Springs, KY 42408 (37. 11f 09.57hN, 87. 42f 02.35hW) and is owned by the Kentucky 4-H Foundation. The proposed safe room will be built utilizing, per FEMA 361 guidelines, gDesign and Construction Guidance for Community Safe Rooms,h and it will be ADA compliant. The structure will be housed in a steel reinforced concrete bunker and will have restroom facilities, HVAC and potable water. The safe room will have a 48 kW Propane generator to provide back-up power to ensure uninterrupted communications during the time of an event. The generator will be placed at the rear of the safe room with a fence to protect it from the public. Two way radios will be in place for a direct line with the local 911 communication center in order to let the occupants know when the all clear has been given. The WK 4-H Camp Director will continue to rely on the Kentucky Weather Service and local emergency management resources to activate the safe room. The cost of the project was determined $500,000 (=2116 sq. ft. x $236), which includes construction costs, architect, engineering, and project management. The total project cost of the safe room grant is $500,000, with a federal share of $375,000 (75%) and a local share of $125,000 (25%). A Kentucky Licensed Engineer and a Kentucky Licensed Architect have already approved and certified the design and construction of the FEMA 361 standards have been met.