Portable shower-restroom trailer combination rentals in Altha, Florida.

A state grant set aside $1.86 million for Altha’s resilient center

Four years after Hurricane Michael struck the Panhandle, Altha received a $1,856,884 state award to acquire property and construct a resilient community center. The October 10, 2022, announcement concerned funding for the permanent building and its site. It placed Altha’s project in the Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program.

Altha was one of 24 Hurricane Michael-affected communities sharing more than $126 million in that round of awards. The program's purpose was to rebuild and strengthen infrastructure, extending recovery work years beyond Michael's October 2018 landfall. Land acquisition and construction were both included in Altha’s allocation. The October announcement established the funding, with a groundbreaking date still to be announced.

Officials announced Altha High School as a flood shelter

Calhoun County emergency officials announced on Sept. 16, 2020, that Altha High School would open at 5 p.m. as a shelter. The notice urged people considering the trip to watch for standing or moving water over roads, a reminder that reaching shelter could involve flooded routes.

Officials also warned residents in flood-prone areas that the Chipola River was forecast to crest near Altha at about 31.6 feet later that week. The notice records the planned opening and forecast, not how many people used the shelter or what additional facilities were set up.

A 2019 FEMA round included repairs at Altha’s library

In May 2019, FEMA approved $669,789 in Florida Public Assistance for 17 Hurricane Michael recovery costs, WCTV reported. One item was $4,500 for repairs to the Town of Altha’s library—the only Altha facility named in the roundup.

The list covered different kinds of eligible work, from debris removal and emergency protective measures to temporary facilities and permanent repairs. FEMA said it had allocated more than $150 million in Public Assistance for Florida recovery from Michael by that point.

The Altha entry identifies library repairs but does not describe the damage or say when the work was finished.

A fatal house fire brought multiple volunteer departments to Altha

A house on Troy McCroan Road in Altha was fully engulfed when responders arrived shortly after 6 a.m. on July 19, 2017, according to WTVY. One person died. The sheriff’s office said an officer and the homeowner had checked the property earlier that morning after a concern about someone being there, but found no one at the time.

Volunteer departments from Altha, Nettle Ridge, Magnolia and West Side responded. The sheriff said firefighters were asked to use limited water because investigators might need to examine the structure. Officials did not suspect foul play in the report.

Altha Public School’s campus combined renovation and new construction

The Altha Public School campus project involved more than adding classrooms. Its engineering firm describes demolition of older classroom buildings, renovation of two existing buildings and new construction across a 22-acre site. The school district’s campus now includes administration, gymnasium and cafetorium spaces, along with multiple classroom buildings connected by covered walkways.

The 130,747-square-foot campus combines classrooms, a gym and a cafetorium, with about 40,000 square feet designated as an Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area. H2 Engineering lists the Calhoun County School District as owner and Allstate Construction and Southland as contractors.

Altha sought bids to replace a water main on CR 274 and Chipola Street

Along County Road 274 and Chipola Street, Altha proposed replacing a three-inch ductile-iron water main with six-inch PVC. The work would move along public streets. The CDBG waterline-replacement notice set a December 1, 2026, deadline for sealed bids, to be delivered to Town Hall by 3 p.m. Central and read aloud there.

The notice allowed 120 calendar days from notice to proceed and required a 10% bid bond plus full performance and payment bonds. Dewberry offered free digital plans and $50 printed sets, and contractors had to meet Florida licensing and registration requirements. The town retained the right to reject any or all bids.