Bono, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — April 8, 2025 — In the aftermath of the severe storms that struck Northeast Arkansas last week, Bono Mayor Danny Shaw is pushing for the construction of additional storm shelters to better protect residents during future weather emergencies.

Two city-operated shelters were pushed beyond their limits as powerful storms moved through the region. The first shelter is between city hall and the community room at 100 Woodland Trails, and the other is in front of the city shop at 216 School St.

“During the storm, two shelters that would hold about 30 each — they were full,” Shaw said. “You had people trying to get in that couldn’t.”

The shelters were quickly overwhelmed. Shaw estimated each shelter held up to 60 people last week in standing-room-only conditions.

“That’s just not safe or comfortable,” he said.

While Bono’s population of approximately 3,000 makes it impossible to build enough shelters for every resident, Shaw said many locals have personal storm protection in the form of home shelters or safe rooms. However, the public options remain limited.

One challenge, Shaw explained, is funding and placement.

“Our issue is that we can’t spend city money to build on a property that’s not owned by the city,” he said. “I’ve already contacted the Church of Christ and other churches in town to see if they would let us build a shelter on their property with donations.”

The shelters will cost $12,000 each, Shaw said.

Shelter use also raised concerns about animals.

“One issue that we have is that you build something like that for humans, and people want to bring their pets,” Shaw said. “Well, you can’t do that. But you really can’t turn someone away, either, especially when someone says this is a service dog. Legally, there’s only two questions we can ask: do you have a condition that requires a service dog and what particular condition is this dog trained to work with?”

Looking ahead, Shaw said at least two new shelters are in the planning stages—one between the senior center and fire station on College Street and another at the entrance to Legacy Park.

“We had a row of pine trees that we took down about two weeks ago to make a spot,” Shaw said.

The shelters will be built by a company currently backlogged with orders. “They can build one in about three days when they can get to it,” Shaw said.

Despite the shelter strain, Shaw praised the city’s efforts in avoiding major flood damage.

“People have made fun of Bono Lake for years,” he said. “But Bono Lake has saved Bono from flooding. It was built as a retention pond, and it lets water out at a sustainable rate. We worked real hard at keeping our drainage areas clear. As far as I know, we didn’t have flooding in any homes. I just feel like Bono has been really blessed to have survived this as well as we have.”