Storm Shelters

[edgarrian]

My wife and i live out in the country here in the state of Indiana. When we built our home we did not have a basement built b/c the soil here is generally clay. Most of if not all of my friends that have basements. Have flooded once if not twice. I also did not want to contend with stairs as we age. We live on 8 acres of woods. I really enjoy living in the middle of the woods. Cuts down on wind. Privacy is great. Road noise is none existent.

The drawback is the threat of a tornado coming through. Generally after every severe storm we talk about a storm shelter. I have looked into them from time to time. I would like to get a grant for the project but thats proved difficult. Here in indiana i have applied once. Didnt get it. I saved the date in my calendar to re apply the following year but they either changed the date for enrollment or didnt do it.

So I was wondering who has successfully gotten a grant for a storm shelter?

Also who have you used to build yours?

I often wonder can they take a big tree falling on them and not getting crushed. Does anyone have real world experience in a storm shelter.

Thanks

 

[ponytug]

The ones that have attracted me are the prefab ones that you drop in a hole, either in the garage floor, or outside. The system lowers the cost, and they can be installed in a day.
Like these;

GarageCube – Survive-A-Storm

survive-a-storm.com

I haven't pulled the trigger yet, and there others which are much bigger, for more people.

All the best, Peter

 

[Bearsixty7]

I got one via county/region grant years ago, I was on the list 2 or 3 years before notified I was eligible as they did a limited number each year. they paid 50% up to 3 or 4K if I recall.
I went with a steel one that they assembled in a walk-in closet and anchor it to the concrete slab so we don't have to go outside if a surprise storm hits.

Not sure who installed it but I had these links saved, I think it was the first one.

Models | ArmoredCloset

www.armoredcloset.com

Tornado Alley Armor

tornadoalley.com

 

[RayIN]

Ed, there are a number of Indiana companies making and selling storm shelters.

The ones that have attracted me are the prefab ones that you drop in a hole, either in the garage floor, or outside. The system lowers the cost, and they can be installed in a day.
Like these;

GarageCube – Survive-A-Storm

survive-a-storm.com

I haven't pulled the trigger yet, and there others which are much bigger, for more people.

All the best, Peter

I think they got carried away with their advertising; "customers who have used their shelter as a mechanics pit for working on their vehicles or changing their oil."
They must get inside the "pit" then have someone drive the vehicle over them in the shelter/pit.
Their other model appears to be a better choice.
Having a storm shelter inside a building comes with a big set of potential problems. Perhaps the main problem is a mountain of debris piled on top of the exit opening.

 

[Bearsixty7]

Ed, there are a number of Indiana companies making and selling storm shelters.

..Having a storm shelter inside a building comes with a big set of potential problems. Perhaps the main problem is a mountain of debris piled on top of the exit opening.

I had the same concern with a pit style in the garage (plus it cost more), a little of the same concern with the one we got in the closet but the reality is, Best to be able to get in it quickly without having to go outside, especially if the debris has already started flying.
I also registered the shelter with the sheriff's department so they know where to look even if it just looks like a pile of debris. The shelter also came with a wrench to be able to disassemble a panel if needed to exit somewhere beside the door.
Priority 1 is to survive the storm!
They had a few pictures of their shelters still standing and in tact after a tornado took everything else around it, I believe it was from the Joplin 2011 tornado.
Luckily, We have only felt the need to get in it once in several years.

 

[edgarrian]

I dont want to put one in my garage or in the house. I get that it would be quick access in case of surprise storm. It will be one thats outside. There is a company that makes them look like a shed. Storm Shelters For Your Family I like how it might blend into the property a bit. They have two sizes One is a is 6x6 and the other is 8x10.

 

[edgarrian]

Ed, there are a number of Indiana companies making and selling storm shelters.

I think they got carried away with their advertising; "customers who have used their shelter as a mechanics pit for working on their vehicles or changing their oil."
They must get inside the "pit" then have someone drive the vehicle over them in the shelter/pit.
Their other model appears to be a better choice.
Having a storm shelter inside a building comes with a big set of potential problems. Perhaps the main problem is a mountain of debris piled on top of the exit opening.

Thats funny they advdertized there shelter as a slick way to change oil. Seems pretty unsafe to me. A sales tactic to push the product b/c of slow sales possibly? I won't be going this route myself even with the clever idea of changing oil

 

[edgarrian]

The ones that have attracted me are the prefab ones that you drop in a hole, either in the garage floor, or outside. The system lowers the cost, and they can be installed in a day.
Like these;

GarageCube – Survive-A-Storm

survive-a-storm.com

I haven't pulled the trigger yet, and there others which are much bigger, for more people.

All the best, Peter

I have looked at these as well. I saw this company as i was looking and it caught my eye.

Storm Shelters For Your Family

Protect your family from the most severe weather with our best selling storm shelter.

www.safesheds.com

 

[woody]

We got ours from Fain storm shelters in Tennessee in 2012, and we actually used it last year when a tornado popped up about 2 miles from our house. Get the biggest that you can, if we had went with the next size they said it would be a community storm shelter but our grant would not pay on that. Since my wife stores home made canned items in it we are not going to starve, and we rotate a case of water through every couple months.

 

[Runner]

Love the closet idea, could double as a gun safe/safe room. Might be too tempting to fill it up with "stuff" that would have to be removed when you need it.

Definitely not moving the exterior concrete box without a crane, so better be sure it's where you want it. Seems outward opening doors would not be a good idea if debris is piled up against it.

I'd be concerned that anything buried in the ground would somehow wind up full of water, though it would probably be the safest.

 

[bdhsfz6]

If you build a shelter outside in a wooded area, make sure it has a door that opens inward. It would also be a good idea to keep a chainsaw in it.

 

[bmaverick]

My wife and i live out in the country here in the state of Indiana. When we built our home we did not have a basement built b/c the soil here is generally clay. Most of if not all of my friends that have basements. Have flooded once if not twice. I also did not want to contend with stairs as we age. We live on 8 acres of woods. I really enjoy living in the middle of the woods. Cuts down on wind. Privacy is great. Road noise is none existent.

The drawback is the threat of a tornado coming through. Generally after every severe storm we talk about a storm shelter. I have looked into them from time to time. I would like to get a grant for the project but thats proved difficult. Here in indiana i have applied once. Didnt get it. I saved the date in my calendar to re apply the following year but they either changed the date for enrollment or didnt do it.

So I was wondering who has successfully gotten a grant for a storm shelter?

Also who have you used to build yours?

I often wonder can they take a big tree falling on them and not getting crushed. Does anyone have real world experience in a storm shelter.

Thanks

When we moved from TN to southern WI, the storms and winds out here are crazy. The 30-day window to close on the home, 4 small trees on the wooded lot had fell onto the house! The older woman lost her husband, so we came in and did the careful removal.

Since then, we had a logger come in and clear 6 acres of the wooded area. The droughts up here over the years made it a fire hazard waiting to happen. The trees slapped each other in the high winds at night and for the first three months we would leap out of bed due to the crashing noises.

We still have trees, yet not anywhere near the home. Yes, we need a wind break and privacy.

The other issue with the place having so many trees, the north side of the home has so much green barnicals growing off the vinyl siding. Took 4 sessions of power washing and diluted vinegar to free them up.

I like the woods, yet it can be a costly endeavor to maintain a home in one.

If you do install a storm shelter like the types in the links above, do get a honey bucket potty and a shower curtain surround.

Stock in a few energy bars, two gallons of water minimum, LED lights, a radio with an antenna mast upwards out of the shelter, a few jackets and a radon detector that has a meter reading. A note on radon detects, when they go off, its way-to-late as they are set to 70ppm and not 30ppm. After 30ppm, you are sleepy and faint. By 70ppm, you are dead. Why the industry has them set to 70ppm is so weird. Do have a ventilation duct and powered fan.

 

[Rustyiron]

Video in southern Indiana of a precast concrete shelter.

 

[ponytug]

I have looked at these as well. I saw this company as i was looking and it caught my eye.

Storm Shelters For Your Family

Protect your family from the most severe weather with our best selling storm shelter.

www.safesheds.com

They caught my eye, too. Of the ones that I looked at, the 8x10 from these folks is my favorite, and they seem to have thought through the installation process pretty well too, I thought. I wouldn't want it in an area that might flood.

@bmaverick that is a great list of suggestions for the shelter.

I'm not following the radon comments. As these shelters are steel, I don't see how radon is going to be a general issue. If someone pours a concrete below grade "root cellar" type, then that's a different story. BTW: The usual unit for radon concentrations is pCi/L, or less frequently Bq/m^3, not ppm. What am I overlooking?

The WHO sets the chronic radon exposure limit at 2.7pCi/L, but a few hours in a shelter is not going to do much; you breathe it in, and then you exhale it. The issue for radon exposure is the long term radiation dose. The few detectors that I looked at online at Amazon and box stores that are electronic, but none of them are for real time monitoring, just long term use. It takes them a week to a month to get a reading. The only radon alarms that I found were for not having enough air movement in a radon abatement system. What am I missing about radon risk in a shelter?

+1 on a ventilation fan especially as there might be more folks in the shelter than you had planned on when things go sideways.

All the best, Peter