Storm Shelter May Be Wise Addition to New or Existing Home

Although tornadoes generally don't get the press that hurricanes do, they occur far more often, generally without much warning, and can turn deadly in seconds. A storm shelter or safe room offers peace of mind during tornado season, saves lives and can also be a good investment for those who live in those parts of the country that frequently have tornadoes.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average number of tornadoes reported each year in the US is 800. Of those, killer tornadoes result in an average of 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries annually. Tornado Alley, the area that stretches through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, is known as the breeding ground for tornadoes and other potentially deadly storms. Even though most people probably don't recognize the importance of a storm shelter until a tornado or other severe storm is bearing down, folks living in Tornado Alley do know the importance of storm shelters.

A storm shelter can be built into a closet, food pantry, or just about anywhere there's space for a closet and a cement or concrete pad. In new construction, they can be custom-built to fit into any design within the house, and the added cost to a mortgage will amount to very little. Although it's best if a storm shelter can be built into the design of house at the time of construction, adding a storm shelter to an existing house can certainly be done.

Family Safe is an Oklahoma storm shelter manufacturing company owned by Vince Mims. The company's website says anyone contemplating having a storm shelter built for their home should be careful to use a company that's reputable and experienced in building storm or tornado shelters. Family Safe had their storm shelter design tested at Texas Tech. During the test, a person was inside the shelter while testers fired two-by-fours at the shelter.

For those unfamiliar with the design of a storm shelter, Family Safe's original model is a good example of a typical safe room or shelter. They are generally sized from 4'X6' to 8'X10'. There is what's called a safety cage that runs throughout the frame of shelter, similar to the safety cages used to protect NASCAR drivers. The storm shelter safety cage can withstand as much as 100,000 pounds, the equivalent of about 25 mid-size cars. The "skin" of the shelter can withstand anything that even the most severe tornado can throw against it. Set on a cement pad, it's held in place by Hilti anchors, which are the same anchors used by NASA.

Further, it's imperative to make sure your storm shelter is approved by the National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA). The NSSA will look for things like proper ventilation and have third party engineering tests done to make certain the storm shelter is in compliance with FEMA standards.

The NSSA came about after the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma City in 1999 and concern about storm shelter quality. FEMA made funding available to help with the construction of storm shelters in Oklahoma, and manufacturers responded. However, there were no standards yet in place, and quality issues quickly surfaced. To address these issues, the NSSA was created and headquartered in Lubbock, Texas. According to the NSSA website, few storm shelter manufacturers have met the requirements for membership in the NSSA. That being the case, anyone considering a storm shelter should do their homework ahead of time.

Resources:

NOAA; http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/safety/tornadoguide.html

Family Safe; http://www.familysafeshelters.com/

National Storm Shelter Association; http://www.nssa.cc/