What are the best tornado/storm shelters?

1. 81

   Victoria Lynnposted 13 years ago

   What are the best tornado/storm shelters?

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2. 80

   badeggposted 13 years ago

   The best place is a shelter built and designed for severe storms and tornadoes. If you have a basement, those are good as well, but you run the risk of having the house collapse on you.
   
   Away from home, look for a freeway overpass, or a bridge to get under. If all else fails, dive into a ditch.

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3. 89

   sgbrownposted 13 years ago

   We came very close to a tornado hitting out house 2 years ago in February. After that scare, I started checking out tornado shelters in my area of Southern Oklahoma.  There were basically 3 types of shelters. Two are made of thick concrete and one type was made of fiberglass. The fiberglass shelters are lighter weight and placed in the ground as is one style of the concrete. The third type is a concrete "room" or "safe room" as they call it. 
   
   Safe rooms are normally "set" in the center part of your home during construction. They are made of thick concrete and have heavy steel doors. They are tested to withstand an F-5 tornado. However, it is above ground. I have personally seen a house that was completely demolished except for the safe room, which was the only thing left standing.
   
   Personally, I want to be as far underground as I can get. The first type of concrete shelter is one that is set inground.  It is also made of thick concrete and heavy steel doors. This was our preferance as I felt safer with the heavier concrete shelter. A hole was dug with a backhoe about 5 feet deep and leveled out. Then the shelter was set down into the hole and the dirt that was dug out was  placed around the shelter.
   
   Now you have to understand that I am absolutely scared to death of tornadoes! My husband swears to me that there is no way that a tornado is going to suck me out of this inground shelter.  In my own personal opinion, the inground cement shelter would be the safest.  However, if a tornado comes right over the top of me, it really isn't going to matter, as I will probably die of a heart attack anyway!

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4. 72

   teaches12345posted 13 years ago

   I lived in tornado ally most of my life and it was always a thought to keep in mind. Shelter options were your own home basement,  school basements and buildings with enclosed, windowless hallways for protection from flying glass, trees, etc.  Some people built storm cellars outside of the home that were simple but stored water and some food inside. A friend of mine built a "safe room" in her basement as a shelter from natural disasters such as tornados.  It is concrete, square block lined around the entire room with a heavy door.  They installed bench/cots in the room and shelving for canned goods  they also equipped it with a storage area that holds  water containers, first aid kits, blankets, and other necessary items for emergencies.  Living in through such storms, I do know that the lower part of any building is the safest, preferaby a basement away from windows.

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