A $2.8 million federal grant will pay for an emergency shelter for residents in the Vancleave community in Jackson County.

Officials say the stand-alone shelter will be designed to provide protection for approximately 1,000 Jackson County residents and is part of the continuing Hurricane Katrina recovery effort.

The director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, Mike Womack, says shelters like these help protect the most important thing — the state’s citizens.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide grant funds from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

The design of the 10,000-square-foot building will follow established federal guidelines for shelter construction.