By BRAD GASKINS / Staff Writer

The deadline for Shelby County residents and municipalities to apply for a FEMA grant to build individual and community storm shelters has been extended to Oct. 27.

Four municipalities and 125 residents are already in the process of applying for the grants. The initial deadline was Sept. 1.

The county has received “extremely high” interest in storm shelters since the tornado outbreaks of April 27, according to Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock.

Pelham is applying for five storm shelter units at three different locations. Each shelter would hold 150 people. Calera, Vincent and Wilsonville are applying for one shelter each.

Each municipality submits its own grant application. The county helps “by completing the application form, acquiring property maps, FEMA floods maps, site coordinates, aerials, budget cost for shelters, and site pictures,” Dudchock wrote Thursday in a project update letter.

The county has received 388 “calls of interest” from individuals since an Aug. 1 meeting was held to explain the application process, according to Dudchock.

The FEMA grants require a local funding match of 25 percent.