Cistern to tornado shelter?

[crowbar032]

Has anyone ever turned an existing cistern into a tornado shelter? The cistern is no longer used due to a city water hook-up (not looking to start the cistern/well vs. city water fight....love city water...not going back). Maybe my memory is bad but after a few years with mild tornado seasons, this year has me thinking about a shelter since I don't have a basement. The cistern is no longer used for anything, so it seems the straightforward answer to two issues.....1. What to do with an unused concrete tank in the ground, and 2. I need/want a tornato shelter. Has anyone done this? Pros/cons? Expensive? Is it even possible?

 

[KYErik]

If you leave it in place and knock a person sized hole in the top, keeping water out of it will be an issue- as well as easy access (most people don't want to go out in the yard and climb down a ladder in the middle of a big storm).

Is it a 1 piece concrete tank and in good condition? If so, maybe you could have it dug/pulled out and relocated/buried in a mound of soil in the yard. Knock a hole in the side and you could walk in and so water wouldn't pool in it. Maybe it could double as a play house for the kids...

Edit***- I see you have a track loader- so maybe you could move it yourself.

I have some friends that had a reasonably tall crawlspace converted into a safe room with some extra excavation. They have a trap door built into their bedroom closet floor so access in the middle of the night is easy. It is about 6 feet by 6 feet with concrete walls and a reinforced ceiling that is not nailed to the floor joists (in case the house blows away). There is another small escape door on the side that leads to the crawlspace if the trap door gets blocked by debris.


Other uses for the cistern would be as a storage tank for irrigation water if you have a big garden (catch the rainwater off the roof and store it for when the late summer weather turns dry).

 

[dmccarty]

There are companies that make septic tanks that also make storm shelters out of the tanks. The problem I have had with those tanks I have seen is that you have to climb down a ladder. I would think you could turn a cistern into a storm shelter fairly easily by adding air supply, equipment, supplies, and maybe by widening the access hole.

If I had a cistern I would be storing rain water.... Unless I lived in tornado alley. Then I would get a storm shelter.

Later,
Dan

 

[crowbar032]

If you leave it in place and knock a person sized hole in the top, keeping water out of it will be an issue- as well as easy access (most people don't want to go out in the yard and climb down a ladder in the middle of a big storm).

Agreed. However this one is almost patio like right off the back door, so it wouldn't be awful to get to.

Is it a 1 piece concrete tank and in good condition? If so, maybe you could have it dug/pulled out and relocated/buried in a mound of soil in the yard. Knock a hole in the side and you could walk in and so water wouldn't pool in it. Maybe it could double as a play house for the kids...

Edit***- I see you have a track loader- so maybe you could move it yourself.

It is a 1 piece concrete tank with two "lids" and is in good shape. I thought of re-locating, then purchasing one of those plastic/abs/fiberglass bury shelters in it's place. I do have a track loader, but I was worried about weight. The 953 is a big piece of equipment, but I'm not a professional operator.

I have some friends that had a reasonably tall crawlspace converted into a safe room with some extra excavation. They have a trap door built into their bedroom closet floor so access in the middle of the night is easy. It is about 6 feet by 6 feet with concrete walls and a reinforced ceiling that is not nailed to the floor joists (in case the house blows away). There is another small escape door on the side that leads to the crawlspace if the trap door gets blocked by debris.

Interesting. Hadn't thought about that, but I don't think my crawl space and room set-up in the house would accomodate that idea. Will review with this in mind.

Other uses for the cistern would be as a storage tank for irrigation water if you have a big garden (catch the rainwater off the roof and store it for when the late summer weather turns dry).

True. The switch to city water was partially driven by the pump and tank needed replacing. I can pay/use a lot of city water to make up the cost difference for new equipment.

 

[vabiker23518]

I'd be a little worried about potential flooding as KYEric mentioned; I've read several people drowned in their shelter during or after the tornado hit.

 

[Car Doc]

I have one under my house someone built over it doing an add on living room.Its concrete top also and serves as the floor of our utility room. The only problems we have is water still gets in. Its either coming up thru the old well pipe or ground water either way better get wet feet than killed by wind.

 

[crowbar032]

There are companies that make septic tanks that also make storm shelters out of the tanks. The problem I have had with those tanks I have seen is that you have to climb down a ladder. I would think you could turn a cistern into a storm shelter fairly easily by adding air supply, equipment, supplies, and maybe by widening the access hole.

If I had a cistern I would be storing rain water.... Unless I lived in tornado alley. Then I would get a storm shelter.

Later,
Dan

Yeah, I'm not crazy about the ladder either especially since this particular cistern is deep. Don't remember exact dimentions, but I beleive it is about 12 ft deep. I was hoping to cut a new hole in the side and cut down the steps.

 

[crowbar032]

I'd be a little worried about potential flooding as KYEric mentioned; I've read several people drowned in their shelter during or after the tornado hit.

I have one under my house someone built over it doing an add on living room.Its concrete top also and serves as the floor of our utility room. The only problems we have is water still gets in. Its either coming up thru the old well pipe or ground water either way better get wet feet than killed by wind.

Sounds like I will have some leaking/flooding issues to address if I proceed with this plan.