POTOSI, Mo. – It’s the kind of news every parent dreads—an incident involving their children at school.
On April 29, an EF-1 tornado touched down in Potosi and damaged the elementary school. Footage from the school shows the tornado’s quick impact, with winds over 100 miles per hour, which tore off a section of the roof and damaged several cars.
“Luckily, all the students were inside the FEMA building in the back of the school and were safe inside the building when the storm came through,” Cpl. Dallas Thompson, Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman, said.
Fortunately, the school was well prepared for the incident. A storm shelter was completed in 2021 and provided safe haven for the students and faculty. No one was injured in the storm, and it proved that storm shelters can be invaluable.
“We have approximately 700 kids here and about 100 staff members. All in there just in a matter of minutes. Less than a few minutes, got them all in there,” Potosi R-III School District Superintendent Alex McCaul said.
The storm shelter at Potosi Elementary School was designed by an architectural firm based in St. Louis that specializes in weather resistant structures, with a focus on helping school districts be prepared for weather emergencies.
Mark Reuther, president of Hoener Architects, served as the principal designer of the shelter that kept the students and faculty safe. The 6,100-square-foot multipurpose building can withstand winds up 250 miles per hour and projectiles of 15 pounds that could hit the side of a building.
“A lot of the facilities that we design are used on a day-to-day basis for other types of uses. And that particular [building] in Potosi is used as a gymnasium on a day-to-day basis,” Reuther said.
Over the years, Hoener Architects has designed over 40 structures for schools that serve as storm shelters. At Troy High School, their shelter was designed as a performing arts center. It, too, can withstand winds up to 250 mph.
And not only do these buildings have to withstand high winds, but they also must meet other requirements.
“Also to contain the capacity of the school for up to two hours. Needs to be able to sustain ventilation for up to two hours. Electrical capabilities and toilet facilities,” McCaul said.
FEMA partially funded Potosi Elementary School’s $1.8 million shelter.
“Because of the robust walls, concrete decks on the roof, and also the robust footings, you’re looking at anywhere from $4.75 to $5.25 a square foot to build these structures.
Every penny was worth it. When faced with a life-threatening situation, everything went to plan perfectly – both in structure and by staff,” Reuther said.
“From everything that we saw on the news, the superintendent, the administration, the kids, everybody just acted so professionally to get those kids into that situation,” McCaul said. “You never want to be put in that position, but they have to be commended on how they reacted to this event.”