West School and its preparedness for severe weather will be the topic of a special on Channel 2 out of Nashville next month as Staff Meteorologist Davis Nolan paid a visit on the school Friday to get a firsthand look at the school’s tornado shelter.

“We came back here because they have this tornado shelter which withstands 250 mile per hour winds. There may be others but I have only seen one other school that has this up in Paris, Tennessee,” Nolan said while taking a break from filming the segment. “I was here for a career day last year and noticed it and thought to myself I need to come back and take a better look.”

The segment that was shot Tuesday is expected to air Wednesday, February 27 during the News2 StormTracker Family Safety Day Road Block which will feature a story in every newscast. Nolan did not know for sure which newscast the West story will be a part of that day. There will be eight different stories during the day. On March 2 they will have a special at 6 p.m. featuring all the stories and will repeat that special on March 9 at 4:30 p.m.

Principal Sabrina Farler, who orchestrated a tornado drill for the visiting news team, said having the safe section in the school helps give her peace of mind when bad weather approaches. It is not only a safe place for the school but the community.

“It’s a community thing and we’re starting to invite our community when the weather is bad,” she said. “They can come and have a safe place for them, too.”

“We’ve had this for over four years,” she said, noting when the school was improved they took advantage of a FEMA grant which paid 75 percent while the county and state picked up the rest of the tab. “When the weather is bad it takes that one little knot in your stomach away.”

Farler noted the first time the shelter was used, faculty had parents, who were outside waiting to pick up their children, come inside and take refuge. “You know everyone is taken care of by having a storm shelter here.”