Tornado Shelter

[dmccarty]

The words "storm shelter" and "wood" should NOT be in the same sentence. Wood is for making kitchen cabinets out of, NOT for stopping a tornado's deadly winds and debris.

Safe above ground safe rooms can be built from wood. The designs are on the FEMA site.

Later,
Dan

 

[rebb]

Western, i have no idea if this is absolutely necessary...the way conex were explained to me, they have all their strength 'vertical' so as to be stacked. laterally, they have little strength....so, you might wanna think about this article before you go all the way:

SurvivalBlog.com

 

[Depmandog]

Western, i have no idea if this is absolutely necessary...the way conex were explained to me, they have all their strength 'vertical' so as to be stacked. laterally, they have little strength....so, you might wanna think about this article before you go all the way:

SurvivalBlog.com

The company I used to work for installed the FEMA trailer parks after Katrina and also Greensburg KS. Not positive about Katrina, but for Greensburg, we used CONEX boxes partially buried as tornado shelters - per FEMA spec, at the trailer park. FYI.

 

[zene55]

Rocket City Rednecks (great show) built an above ground cinder block shelter and shot 2x4's at it. Seemed like a good shelter.

 

[alagary]

just watched on the weather channel a couple who own a trailer park in the south bought and buried a old school bus for the tenants of their trailer park. Hatch with a ladder entry ..Cheap enough...only need to be used in a real emergency.

I assume all fluids and tanks were removed..... had PVC air vent and a temp light. just a thought

Here it is. I use to work with the owner. He had put a smaller version made from a van at his house .His wife told him that they could not use it unless he put something for the trailer court.
Underground school bus storm shelter - WSFA 12 News Montgomery, AL |

 

[Western]

Western, i have no idea if this is absolutely necessary...the way conex were explained to me, they have all their strength 'vertical' so as to be stacked. laterally, they have little strength....so, you might wanna think about this article before you go all the way:

SurvivalBlog.com

Link didn't work for me, If the box is buried, I'm thinking there is little threat to the sides of the box, if the soil conditions are good, but even so, the sides should be strong enough since the PSI of the dirt would be slight and spread out. (just in theory in my head)

The company I used to work for installed the FEMA trailer parks after Katrina and also Greensburg KS. Not positive about Katrina, but for Greensburg, we used CONEX boxes partially buried as tornado shelters - per FEMA spec, at the trailer park. FYI.

Thanks Dean, I was almost certain I had read them as "recommended" by FEMA (properly installed) . The way I see it, much more square footage of storage for maybe less cost than a "store" bought or solid cement below grade shelter.

DId they do anything special? like treat the exterior? IE waterproofing?

 

[Depmandog]

Link didn't work for me, If the box is buried, I'm thinking there is little threat to the sides of the box, if the soil conditions are good, but even so, the sides should be strong enough since the PSI of the dirt would be slight and spread out. (just in theory in my head)

Thanks Dean, I was almost certain I had read them as "recommended" by FEMA (properly installed) . The way I see it, much more square footage of storage for maybe less cost than a "store" bought or solid cement below grade shelter.

DId they do anything special? like treat the exterior? IE waterproofing?

Keep in mind these FEMA parks were "temporary housing", and normally would be dismantled after a couple of years, but to answer your question- no they did not weather proof these, probably because of its short term use.

On the "Green" channel, they had a program called Greensburg, which chronicled the town's recovery effort, and there desire to go green with their building efforts. One episode showed another tornado warning for the area, and the camera's were rolling as the park residents went into the buried CONEX box tornado shelter. I recall seeing the thing leaking like a sieve on television.

If I was going to use one, I definitely would tar coat and plastic the outside, if nothing else to keep it from rusting out.

 

[Wood_Butcher_Dav]

I built mine out of cement blocks filled with rebar and mortar and concrete roof. I went with above ground that was convenient to use. The breeze way approach is what I took. Some action photo's;

Dave

 

[chucko]

Two fold ... protect you as well when you shlt yourself ... well?

And every bathroom would have and entrance

 

[Car Doc]

We have a local septic tank co that builds storm shelters out of septic tanks

We do too they put a different roof on with a steel door but its just a tank. I think they are 3 grand installed and about $2000 out the door dig your own hole.

I built my shelter out of a water well house that needed rebuilt anyway I just dug it 5'x8'x5' bigger cinder blocked it and rebar and formed the top of the walls and filled the blocks with cement and put a roof over it probably spent $2000.

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