When a hurricane or tornado hits, you need to have a safe place to take shelter. That safe place must be close enough for you to take cover within seconds. These safe places are referred to as concrete storm shelters. Arkansas residents can take advantage of life-saving protections during a destructive storm with one of these units installed. These storm shelters or safe rooms are becoming more popular in certain areas due to the various destructive tornadoes and other storms that occur on a yearly basis.
Underground Shelters
It is safest to go underground many times during a severe weather event such as a hurricane or tornado. Basements offer excellent protection, but at the same time they can be vulnerable to debris collapsing on top of the shelter. Tornado cellars which are fully underground storm shelters provide some of the best protection available from violent storms. However, it is not feasible to construct these units in flood prone or urbanized areas.
Safe Rooms
Different than typical in-ground concrete storm shelters, safe rooms provide the same safety benefits. A safe room, as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is a structure that provides almost absolute protection from a severe storm. The safe rooms are built in accordance with specific safety standards and federal law.
Safe rooms are built to resist wins up to 250 mph and 3000 pounds of force, which exceeds that delivered by EF-5 tornado. These rooms are often built in garages or basements. A typical safe room may be constructive fiberglass or steel to ensure a very high level of protection against wind forces. All of the shelters utilize a concrete foundation is a secure anchor.
Above and Below Safe Rooms
Regarding safe rooms, there are two kinds to take note of. These are below and above ground rooms. Both are made of the same materials and must meet the same requirements. Underground shelters are not subjected to side-impact from debris thrown around from a hurricane or tornado. The disadvantage of an underground safe room, is briefly mentioned above, is that debris piling on top may exit your only escape route. Above ground safe rooms do not have this issue, but may be subjected to severe side-impact from debris.
Companies offering safe rooms must provide them in accordance with FEMA and NSSA safety standards.
If you are evaluating concrete storm shelters, contact an experienced storm shelter company today to learn more about your options.
