What if my home is substantially damaged and I'm trapped in my neighborhood by storm debris? The good news is that you're alive and unhurt. It's not the hurricanes that kill, it's the tornadoes within the hurricanes that kill. We hardly ever have tornadoes, why build a shelter to withstand a tornado? Hurricanes spawn hundreds of tornados and we get lots of hurricanes. Even if your home is elevated on pilings an interior storm shelter can't be isolated from the main structure of the home. Where can I place my storm shelter? Storm shelters should not be placed within flood zones. Altogether, a far less inconvenience than packing up and evacuating. An exterior storm shelter makes a great place to put lawn and garden equipment which can be removed and placed in the garage during the storm. If adding one to an existing garage you can store stuff in them when not in use and remove the contents during the approach of a storm. If the safe room is built into the house during construction then the best location is a walk-in closet.
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My garage is full of stuff so how do I make space for a storm shelter? Storm shelters can be dual purpose spaces. Occupants can then climb out over the debris. If my house crashes down around my storm shelter, how do I get out? Storm shelters should have armored in-swing doors which can be opened in if a pile of debris is baring the door. The Safe-At-Home storm shelter is designed to be a safe place to ride out a storm without power. The shelter can be kept locked from the outside when not in use to keep valuables and important papers secure.ĭo I need electricity or AC in the storm shelter? No. Copies of your important papers can be stored permanently in you storm shelter. Make space for valuables, important papers, and your computer hard drive which can be put in the shelter quickly during an approaching storm. You should also store water and emergency food for at least 3 days. What else should I put in my storm shelter? A hand crank radio/cell phone charger, a hand crank flash light or lantern, and a first aid kit. What about toilet facilities? A small motor home or marine porta-potty can be used in the shelter. FEMA guidelines call for a minimum of 6 square feet of shelter space per occupant. Relatively speaking, a few hours in a small storm shelter is probably a lot more comfortable than spending all day in an evacuation traffic jam. The shelter seems small, won't it be uncomfortable? Occupancy will be only during the peak hours of the storm which typically last 2-12 hours. The shelter can be placed adjacent to your home and designed so that it blends in architecturally. The storm shelter must be a stand alone structure capable of withstanding 250 mph winds and 100mph missile impacts on the roof and all 4 sides. The triple deadbolt armored door stops wind, missiles, and thieves.Ĭan I attach an exterior storm shelter to my home? Exterior walls of existing homes are not engineered to 250mph. A safe room is also a great place to store valuables.
No need to disrupt your life until the hurricane actually makes landfall and then only for a few hours.
With a safe room you will have a safe place for your family, pets, and infirm dependents to go to on very short notice. It's really a no-win situation unless you have a safe room. And, of course, if you stay not everyone will agree with your decision. The evacuation decision usually has to be made a couple of days in advance of hurricane land fall and, of course, when you finally leave town, the storm often turns away or wasn't as bad as the forecasters thought. The best part about it is that you no longer have to suffer the anguishing debate of whether or not to evacuate. When you consider the total cost of an evacuation a safe room can pay for itself in one storm season. You won't have to spend days on the road during an evacuation, stuck in traffic, trying to find a place to stay that will take pets, losing time off from work, spending lots of money, getting stuck in long gas lines, and eating bad food at roadside restaurants.Ī properly engineered safe room is structurally independent of the surrounding home, has adequate passive ventilation, and an armored in-swing door in case you have to climb out over a pile of debris.Ī safe room can be built into the home for $4000-$6000 depending on the size. With a safe room you can sleep peacefully during hurricane season knowing that you have a safe place to go in your home in the event of a hurricane. Safe-at-home storm shelters are engineered to 250 mph wind forces and 100 mph missile impacts.