April 26th is a date that many in Elkhorn will remember for a long time. The day a tornado tore through the community, changing lives and EPS storm protocols. It has been a year since an EF-4 tornado ripped through the area and destroyed nearly everything in its path. As is common during a severe storm at EHS, students were sheltered inside the school locker rooms until around 5 PM unbeknownst to the damage that had occurred.
Elkhorn Public Schools conducts severe weather drills each spring during tornado season, but it was clear that this was not just a drill and that many weren’t prepared for a disaster of this caliber.
Though Elkhorn does have safe spaces for students to shelter from a severe storm, like a tornado, as EHS has grown, that space, the locker rooms, has become less than ideal. They are too small and not comfortable for long term occupancy especially with the number of students to keep safe.
“The disaster prompted an auditing of our current policies, because we want to ensure everyone is safe,” principal Mark Schroeder said.
Because of this review, the district decided to build a storm shelter just north of the auxillary gym. This shelter will provide a better location for students and staff to take shelter during storms.
This decision is a result of heavy discussion among district officials, who decided that this new facility would meet FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) standards that have changed shince EHS was built.
“Unfortunately, to retrofit our existing facilities, we would have to do all the things that come with replacing locker rooms, which are under bleachers, etc” Schroeder said. “We found it was actually more financially feasible to do it with a brand new space.”
The new space will also potentially be multipurpose, providing sports teams with extra space to practice during the winter or any other time weather does not permit outside practice.
This update will ensure the safety of all staff and students at Elkhorn High School should another severe weather incident occur.
