LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A new storm shelter at Lexington’s city recycling center is providing a much-needed refuge for employees and visitors inside.
City emergency manager Tim Brandewie took reporters on a tour of the above-ground shelter on Tuesday. It fits about 100 people.
Brandewie lauded the engineering of the shelter, which he said can withstand an EF-5 tornado.
Beneath the shelter is three feet of gravel, which along with steel and gravel, anchors it to the ground. He called it the most extreme concrete foundation work he’s ever seen.
"The whole point is to make sure it can withstand impact but to make sure it won't get pulled out of the ground,” he said.
The walls are made out of 1/30-inch welded steel.
The construction of the shelter is providing relief to those working inside the recycling facility, Brandewie said. They’ve seen what just straight-line winds can do. On two occasions, portions of the roof of the building have torn off.
“This type of construction at the recycling facility is pretty vulnerable to tornado danger,” Brandewie said.
It’s what prompted the constriction of the shelter, he said.
The shelter cost about $124,000. Much of the funding came from the federal government.
