Thinking About a Tornado Shelter/Safe Room

[SoonerAviator]

Being able to look outside for tornados is largely dependent on where you are in the country. In western TX/OK/KS most of the t-storms and tornadoes seem to occur during the late afternoon hours (4-6pm) while there is still daylight. Once you get into far eastern KS/OK/TX and western AR/MO/IL it's closer to 8pm or after which means daylight has all but disappeared . . . so looking out your window doesn't tell you anything other than what you see between lightning strikes. Once it makes it to western AR/MO/IL it's 10pm and many people are in bed.

 

[dell30rb]

The reality is you run in there and sit for about thirty minutes until the storm passes. Then you come out.

Hurricanes last much longer. You need a full bar for those.

 

[weilke]

The Sharknado is the worst.

Sure about that ? What if the sharks have frickin lasers on their heads ? That would be worse, wouldn't it ?

 

[Matthew]

Sure about that ? What if the sharks have frickin lasers on their heads ? That would be worse, wouldn't it ?

Like THAT would happen... sheesh.

 

[Ted]

There's a distinct difference in mentality here.

Me: "I'm building a theater room. We have tornadoes. Theater rooms benefit from extra insulation anyway. Hey, maybe I could do both."

Others: "I'm building a tornado shelter. Why would I build a theater room?"

 

[Checkout_my_Six]

then....concrete makes for great insulation.

 

[SCCutler]

Check it out:

http://www.foreversafeshelters.com/

 

[Dennis McKim]

I've seen reference to the FEMA guidelines but no links to the documents themselves (if these links were provided earlier and I just missed them, then please disregard).

"Taking Shelter from the Storm:
Building a safe room for your home or small business
FEMA P-320"
http://www.fema.gov/media-library-d...7ee15436712a3e82ce709/FEMA_P-320_2014_508.pdf

"Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes:
Guidance for community and residential safe rooms
FEMA P-361"
http://www.fema.gov/media-library-d...374f71c45383af7af4385d5/FEMA_P-361_2015r2.pdf

 

[Lindberg]

Isn't "some" reinforcement better than "none", which he apparently has now? That might be the case if he puts something on the ceiling that could collapse on them, but otherwise...

Sure. How much is enough? If I'm going to deliberately stay put, it's going to be someplace I know maximizes my family's chances of survival. I'm not going to guess. And adding a properly-constructed shelter--that's also a useful room--to our new construction will cost less than the cost of a Cirrus chute repack.

 

[Everskyward]

Sure. How much is enough? If I'm going to deliberately stay put, it's going to be someplace I know maximizes my family's chances of survival. I'm not going to guess. And adding a properly-constructed shelter--that's also a useful room--to our new construction will cost less than the cost of a Cirrus chute repack.

I would say how much is enough is up to the individual.

 

[txflyer]

Segway: Before Nexrad, before internet, before cell phones or Doppler radar ....

Growing up in the Panhandle and being up late at night because you know it's terrible weather and you can't sleep, and you look outside a window and see a big funnel lit up by lightning not far away then it's gone again in the darkness.

Those are some of the most terrifying moments you'll live to remember.

 

[Lindberg]

I would say how much is enough is up to the individual.

In everything.

 

[denverpilot]

Segway: Before Nexrad, before internet, before cell phones or Doppler radar ....

Growing up in the Panhandle and being up late at night because you know it's terrible weather and you can't sleep, and you look outside a window and see a big funnel lit up by lightning not far away then it's gone again in the darkness.

Those are some of the most terrifying moments you'll live to remember.

I never liked chasing at night. Lots more risk.

The reward was in knowing you gave the report that sounded the horns and it was a real warning, not something generated by a computer that is allowed a margin of error.

It was also the camaraderie. Nobody back then was chasing to make a buck. We were chasing to help save lives.

It went downhill into commercialism after NEXRAD and slow mobile data that allowed you to easily look at the radar map that up until then, only your ham radio buddies sitting at the NWS office could relay to you with words.

Words like, "You guys need to get the hell out of there RIGHT NOW," after they asked where you were and looked on a paper map on the wall, were said once in a great while.

Nowadays anyone can see more data than we ever had, but they take the sirens for granted and ignore them. Darwin usually handles the next part.