Mississippi School Safety: Balancing Costs and Tornado Resilience

A former resident argues for prioritizing wind-resistant school construction to protect students

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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A letter to the editor published in the Commercial Dispatch raises concerns about potential cost-cutting measures that would compromise the structural resilience of a new elementary school gymnasium in Mississippi. The author, Trevor W. Cole, a former Columbus, Mississippi resident now living in Georgia, contends that weakening a school building's wind resistance, especially in a tornado-prone state, is a dangerous trade-off that puts students at risk. He cites personal experiences, historical tragedies, and data on tornado fatalities to underscore the importance of investing in robust school construction to serve as safe havens during severe weather.

Why it matters

This debate highlights the challenge of balancing school construction budgets with the need for safety measures in regions prone to extreme weather events. Mississippi is one of the deadliest states per capita for tornadoes, and the author argues that schools must be designed to withstand these threats, even if it means increased upfront costs.

The details

The letter focuses on the proposed $3 million increase in costs to include wind-resistance requirements for the Stokes-Beard Elementary gymnasium project in Mississippi. The author acknowledges the need for budget discipline but contends that compromising structural integrity is unacceptable, especially given the frequency of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the state. He draws on personal experiences, such as a close call during an EF3 tornado in 2008, as well as historical tragedies like the 1936 Tupelo tornado, to emphasize the importance of robust school buildings that can serve as safe havens.

  • On January 10, 2008, an EF3 tornado struck the author's school in Caledonia, Mississippi, causing destruction but resulting in only three minor injuries due to a timely evacuation.
  • In 1936, the Tupelo tornado killed over 200 people and injured nearly 1,000, remaining the fourth-deadliest tornado in U.S. history.

The players

Trevor W. Cole

A former resident of Columbus, Mississippi who now lives in Athens, Georgia, and wrote a letter to the editor challenging potential cost-cutting measures that would compromise the structural resilience of a new elementary school gymnasium in Mississippi.

William Clifford Morse

A state geologist who surveyed the aftermath of the 1936 Tupelo tornado and noted that the survival of students at Tupelo City High School was largely due to the building's structural integrity.

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What they’re saying

“one shudders at the thought of how nearly complete annihilation would have been had these rooms been filled with pupils when the tornado struck.”

— William Clifford Morse, State Geologist (Commercial Dispatch)

“is the proposed design worth the cost, or are Mississippi communities willing to risk 'losing friends and loved ones' in the pursuit of 'building at present prevailingly low costs?'”

— Trevor W. Cole (Commercial Dispatch)

What’s next

The school district will need to decide whether to move forward with the $3 million increase in costs to include wind-resistance requirements for the Stokes-Beard Elementary gymnasium project.

The takeaway

This debate highlights the difficult tradeoffs between school construction budgets and ensuring the safety of students and communities in tornado-prone regions like Mississippi. While cost-savings are important, the author argues that investing in robust, wind-resistant school buildings is a necessary measure to protect lives in the event of severe weather.