Safe rooms, shelters, and storm cellars

[Reba]

what I meant is that you have a limited fund, limited space, no basement, etc. and that puts you at strategical disadvantage.

Probably.

 

[Jiro]

just did some googling for "Poor Man's Shelter" and emergency shelter. interesting finds I see. I'm impressed with some of these clever ideas.

I like the one that's underneath front steps. it's very functional and clever.

 

[Grayma]

I love the bus. How cool!

We just head to the closet under the stairs. In the past I've stayed in the bathtub with a mattress over the top, but I only had one baby then, and it was a crib mattress. It'd be difficult to get all seven of us at home into a bathtub and still be friends when the tornado passed.

 

[Foxrac]

I live in state that has tornadoes every years and most homes are built with basement. The storm cellars are extremely rare in here, unlike Texas and Oklahoma does. For house without basement, hall or closet without windows are other option to cover, also your body must be covered with hand.

 

[KristinaB]

I saw on CNN when they were reporting on all these tornadoes in Indiana and all over last week or so, that the weather caster on CNN was telling people, "If you have a bike helmet, wear it in your shelter. It has been proven to help protect your head during the storms." I thought that was interesting.

 

[C.C.Sinned]

Zombie Squad • Index page

yeah really! these people are hardcore preppers with a sense of humor and a love for zombie flicks. plan for disaster preparedness everything from hurricanes to zombie outbreaks :P they talk about camping gear, military surplus, bug out locations, bug in locations and homesteading. if you are ready for a zombie apocalypse, you are ready for anything

 

[deafbirk]

Cement pipes come in a lot of sizes. Pretty easy to seal off the ends.Can also look at prices for shipping containers. The all steel kind that are put on ships then onto tractor trailers. People actually turn them into homes. Half or fully buried and you have a ready made shelter. Don't. Know prices where.you live but havee see for $2k

 

[Steinhauer]

Thinking about those terrible tornadoes and the devastation and death that they left behind. I don't think my house could withstand a tornado, and we don't have a basement. We've been researching safe rooms and in-ground shelters. They are expensive, and they take up space but they could be life savers. (Of course, they're only good if you're at home when the storm hits, too.)

Do any of you have experiences with tornadoes, using a shelter, or installing one?

These are some of the shelters available:

sizes and prices

Lifesaver Storm Shelters, Benton Illinois

Storm Shelters Tornado Shelters Safe Rooms

Bluehost.com

Storm Shelters, Tornado Shelters, Hurricane Shelters & Safe Rooms

You already know this stuff has been on my mind too. I lived through 15 tornadoes. The November 22, 1992 tornadoes that touched down in Cobb County, Georgia were both F4 tornadoes and one touched down less than a half mile from where I was located at the time.

I had already moved out of my family's home and was living near Kennesaw Mountain (where one touched down). That tornado traveled from the mountain, across I-75 (lifting a tractor trailer straight up in the air) through an industrial complex tearing a building in half, and right straight towards where my Mom, Dad, brother and sisters still lived. It "hop-scotched" through the back of their subdivision completely demolishing (as in - exploding) houses. Cars were in trees. The whole area was cordoned off as a national Disaster Area.

When my dad finally got through all the traffic barricades to reach me to see that I was safe - he broke down in tears when he saw that I was fine.

Vivid memories ...

That is why I want to build a shelter too. Nothing fancy - just a place of refuge where me and mine can go quickly if we need to.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_1992_tornado_outbreak

In the article it says the F4 tornado touched down SE of "Lost" Mountain - that is incorrect - it touched down at Kennesaw Mountain.

http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~27652

 

[SneakerNet]

I been through Hurricane and Tornado. Talking about laundry room, I seen some people built what called "Hardening the room", is to add more structure to the laundry room. As you may know that there's no diagonal structure to the house which cause easily to sway one direction or other, loosing the structure easily. So, they built a diagonal beam in the laundry room, if there's a metal beam in the center of the house, the wooden diagonal beams are locked to the metal beam to prevent from falling toward where laundry room is located, and added more beams and columns to hold up the ceiling. Then added layer of plywood (3/4"). All the lower part of diagonal beams, columns are bolted down to concrete. Yes, it does take up a space a little bit but more chance of surviving it.

 

[deafbirk]

I like watching storm chasers. You learn what kind of cloud formation is most likely to produce a tornado. Came in handy after the fact for me when I recognized the clouds after I drove on the theuway. Confirmed on the news later that night. This was in a totally. Unespected area. These things just pop up then poof , they're gone

 

[Reba]

I been through Hurricane and Tornado.

We went thru Hurricane Hugo in 1989. It was a frightening experience. At that time, we lived in a one-story ranch house with a center hallway. We spent the night in the hallway with our pillows and blankets. The sounds were loud, and we could hear tree limbs falling. The hallway walls heaved in and out, like they were breathing.

Talking about laundry room, I seen some people built what called "Hardening the room", is to add more structure to the laundry room. As you may know that there's no diagonal structure to the house which cause easily to sway one direction or other, loosing the structure easily. So, they built a diagonal beam in the laundry room, if there's a metal beam in the center of the house, the wooden diagonal beams are locked to the metal beam to prevent from falling toward where laundry room is located, and added more beams and columns to hold up the ceiling. Then added layer of plywood (3/4"). All the lower part of diagonal beams, columns are bolted down to concrete. Yes, it does take up a space a little bit but more chance of surviving it.

That sounds interesting. I don't think our house has any metal beams. I'll have to ask TCS (Hubby) about the feasibility of doing that. The laundry floor is concrete slab with ceramic tiles covering it. The "room" is partly under the stairs, and the furnace is in there, so it's a very small area. It's also our broom closet (mops, vacuum cleaner, ironing board, etc.)

 

[Reba]

I would still like someone to post who has actually experienced building, installing, or using a safe room or shelter.

 

[C.C.Sinned]

I would still like someone to post who has actually experienced building, installing, or using a safe room or shelter.

those people are rare. most do not bother to be prepared. I don't have to worry much about hurricanes, and tornadoes. I did secure my basement and have a large pantry for emergencies. Most of my planning came from lurking at zombie hunters. those people have done it. many live in hurricane zones and in tornado alley. one guy speaks of why it is smart to hide and sound proof a generator. hide the fact that you have power while everyone else does not. if you do, you are a target for looters. even the legal looters, that call it "requisitioning". some have buried shipping containers and turned them into storm shelters.

 

[Reba]

This is my laundry room where we take shelter.

 

[C.C.Sinned]

always keep in mind, when you reenforce a room into a saferoom. if you get stuck in there, there is no escape. plan one. that is why those outside shelter are worth investment. they have an escape hatch. you can dig your way out if debris blocks the door

 

[PowerWCRulez]

Hello there, yep I saw "Take Shelter" DVD movie. the guy owner bought the storage container addition to the small cellar room. It's looks like a fallout shelter.

In my apt bldg;

resident unit would be in bathroom as shelter for a tornado warnings and fallout shelter will be in the underground parking garage.

Common area of lobby. They posted for emergency shelter route can be use in day center office, maintenance room and ramp hall (emergency exit ramp for for fire alarm or elevator broke down.)

 

[SneakerNet]

always keep in mind, when you reenforce a room into a saferoom. if you get stuck in there, there is no escape. plan one. that is why those outside shelter are worth investment. they have an escape hatch. you can dig your way out if debris blocks the door

It doesn't matter where, laundry room or underground shelter, they still get stuck in it. As for example, if the under ground shelter sit next to the house and massive structures collapsed on top of the hatch, how long will it take to remove the debris? It will take a while since it may require machinery to remove it you know. And that machinery not going to arrive that instance due to many blockage on the road. That is why it require at least 3 days worth of food and water to survive it.

I used to work in architect for 9 years and for Reba, from looking at the pictures I will explain to you later when I get back from work.

 

[Reba]

It doesn't matter where, laundry room or underground shelter, they still get stuck in it. As for example, if the under ground shelter sit next to the house and massive structures collapsed on top of the hatch, how long will it take to remove the debris? It will take a while since it may require machinery to remove it you know. And that machinery not going to arrive that instance due to many blockage on the road. That is why it require at least 3 days worth of food and water to survive it.

That's what I was concerned about also. Our neighborhood has only one road into it, over a little bridge. We have lots of tall trees and two-story houses, so there could be a lot of debris after a storm.

In addition to food and water, even more important is the air supply.

I used to work in architect for 9 years and for Reba, from looking at the pictures I will explain to you later when I get back from work.

I look forward to your ideas.

Side note: TCS has building skills, so we can do most work ourselves. (I provide the unskilled labor, heh, heh.)

 

[SneakerNet]

Ok, before I begin, let me explain to you the concept of structure. Let talk about cardboard boxes. There are two different sizes, one will fit snuggly inside the larger cardboard box. The inside box only mount (glue as for example) to the base of the floor. The walls or structures are not mounted to any of the outer box. Now, once either hurricane/tornado strike, of outer wall (or side) of the box tear away, what happen to the inner wall of the box? it still there, right? Now, if you mount the inner box along with the outer box. If the outer wall tear away, what happen to the inner wall? It WILL tear away along with it because it bolted together. Get the concept? So, it's more of inner structures are free standing by itself, only mounted to the concrete floor. All the inner structures are bolted together, nothing attached or nailed or bolted to the existing structures.
So, this is important rules and that is why I'm explaining to you with this concept. So, imagine to yourself with only cardboard box, and if one wall tear away, what happen to the box itself? It will collapsed. Same with your laundry room, no inner structure standing by itself, so you will have more chance with structure being collapsed.

So, I'm giving you an example drawing below, the long side of the beam should be shorter but just give you an idea. Now you noticed that there metal right angle, 1/8" thick, 2" wide are being used as support bracket, and same for bottom of each columns, but it's 4" 1/8" thick right angle, to hold the columns down. Now all the frames are not bolted along with the existing frames. It just free standing. Than add a 2x6 for diagonal frame on each side of the wall as shown in light lines.

Now that stairs will stopped from falling due to two beams are holding it up.

So, this is just a quick idea, and it probably only under $500. This will help holding up against earth quake, hurricane, and tornado.

 

[Reba]

Ok, before I begin, let me explain to you the concept of structure....

Thank you. I will show this to TCS when he gets home from work tonight. He's the builder in the family.