One month ago, a devastating tornado destroyed hundreds of homes and killed dozens in Tuscaloosa. Four years ago, a similarly deadly tornado wreaked havoc at Enterprise High School, blindsiding more than 1,000 students and killing eight, while destroying property.

Following the devastation of Enterprise, former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley signed a law in May 2010 enforcing safety guidelines and regulations with the intention to establish a safe zone in all schools. And with the recent deadly tornadoes, local officials are adamantly enforcing safety procedures.

Ray Mathiews, with the Selma City Schools, said the new Selma High School currently being constructed and scheduled to be completed next year, will have safe zones in the main corridors of the first and second floors of the school.

“There will be a full wall of concrete, unlike solely concrete blocks, which were used at Enterprise and in most schools,” Mathiews said. “We’re going to adhere to any law or code dealing with the structure of the new school. We want to make our kids safe.”

Mathiews said Alabama law requires storm shelters and safe zones must be capable of withstanding winds of 250 miles per hour or more. The advanced design in the new school’s construction, Mathiews said, adhere to guidelines.

“Throughout the safe zone, there’s actually a forming grid of 7-inch thick steel and is set to hold concrete vertically,” Mathiews said. “The concrete is poured in units and the solid, concrete wall has metal reinforcement rods, which make a big difference. The concrete gives strength to the structure.”

Personnel working on the Selma project, representatives from the HOAR Construction team in Alabama were unavailable for comments and superintendent Dr. Don Jefferson did not wish to comment on the matter.