Local Zoo Hurricane Ready

Alabama Hurricane Construction on new hurricane evacuation shelter at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo in Gulf Shores nearly finished

by Pat Peterson

Published: Wed, August 12, 2009 - 3:21 pm CST Last Updated: Wed, August 12, 2009 - 6:58 pm CST

In 2004, Hurricane Ivan wiped out the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, forcing the evacuation of every animal and bird in the facility. Zoo keepers and volunteers moved the animals out, one by one, and transported them to individual safe houses further inland. The entire hurricane evacuation was a nightmare. But things will be different now if a storm threatens Pleasure Island.

"If we have a hurricane, all we have to do is lock them down in the Category 5 night-houses and spend the night at the zoo," says zoo director Patti Hall.

Construction on the zoo's new evacuation shelter on County Road 6 north of Gulf Shores is nearly finished.

"Our hearts our with our animals," says Hall. "And what's in their best interest, so it's going to be a weight taken off our shoulders every June when hurricane season begins, we'll never have to worry about it again."

The site of the storm shelter will also be the zoo's new home. The new zoo will open in 2011.

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claycitymadness Says:

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 10:29 am

morning bob; yeah i was thinking more inland. on the water in teh path of the surge you are pretty much screwed. thats what i am counting on. still a lot of trees down though. my mom and grandma fled the farm years ago to point clear but she knows if she has total loss of structure she is moving back to the farm for good. the water is a nice place to spend a couple of hours or days but i woudlnt want to store my grannies china near it.

BamaBob Says:

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 7:15 am

I wouldn’t want to be the first to test that one out either. I remember a couple of “hurricane proof” houses that disappeared when Cat 3 Katrina made landfall. One was on the point in Pascagoula and the other was in Bay St. Louis. The one in Bay St. Louis had steel columns going from deep in the ground through the multi-story house at strategic locations. All that was left were those gnarled and broken columns.

claycitymadness Says:

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 7:13 am

the main danger was the storm surge and rising water anyway, structurally we have done pretty well with the wind the last ten years or so, that building looks like it will ride it out. I am hoping so as i have a similar looking barn i also believe will ride out a cat V. both the evac site and my building are farther inland( I am near summerdale)and away from the surge danger. catch surge damage and you are just messed up, no getting away from that except building up. here’s hoping its all for naught that we dont even get a storm this year.

turnipman Says:

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 7:06 am

I hope your right about “Catagory 5 Status”. Sounds like a false sense of security to me. I’ve seen the pictures of this building on the news and have my doubts about “Catagory 5 Status”. Did the builder give you a “WRITTEN GUARANTEE”? I doubt that also. It is a nice building though, good luck with the buildings ratings, hard to believe.