Alabama County Not Allowed to Post Storm Shelter Signs

DeKalb County, Alabama fought for most of a year, for the right to build storm shelters. On April 27, 2011, thirty-three people lost their lives in the county due to lack of shelters. The federal government tried to make them tear down the ones they built after that, but the county finally won it's court battle to have them.

Now, the state of Alabama is telling them they can not post signs to direct people to the shelters. The signs would be placed along a state highway, and the state has refused to allow the signs to be put up.

Superintendent Charles Warren, of the county schools, and DOT traffic engineer Travis Kilgore have been having a back and forth exchange over the signs.

Kilgore wrote in an email, "The use of shelter directional signs have not yet been approved for installation on state roads. The overuse and overcrowding of signs can be a distraction to motorist (sic) and often lead to a disregard or disrespect of necessary regulatory and roadway warning signs." He continued on to insist that residents already know where the shelter is, so signs are unnecessary.

Warren responded by pointing out that, as it is a busy state highway, many people from out of town go through daily. And they would not automatically know where to seek shelter. Warren even offered to have the signs remade, at cost to the county, to which ever specifications the state insisted.

But Kilgore still denied them saying, "I admire your persistence in pursuing the 'Tornado Shelter' signs and commend the DeKalb County Schools for constructing the shelter, however, I cannot approve installation of the signs on AL-35. The Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices requires States to develop a comprehensive plane (sic) to address miscellaneous guide signs and their installation on State roads. We limit guide signs, other than the primary destinations (Towns and Cities), to those destinations that a large number of motorists may be looking for. Our State Traffic Engineer has determined these signs are not approved for installation on State roads and has previously denied requests for shelter signs in South Alabama."

 The county is now appealing to Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, to try and finally get the signs posted. Bentley has yet to respond on the matter.