Community Shelter Articles
What Civic Leaders Should Know About FEMA P-361 & ICC-500 Standards EF5 tornadoes, with wind speeds exceeding 250 mph, are rare but devastating. As nature’s most violent storms, they represent a disproportionate share of tornado-related deaths and are capable of flattening entire neighborhoods. While no structure is fully tornado-proof, community storm shelters designed and installed…
Why Community Shelter Sizing Matters More Than You Think The size of a community shelter can be a matter of life and death during severe weather events. Overcrowded shelters have led to dangerous conditions. During recent tornado outbreaks, some shelters reported turning away dozens of people due to a lack of space, forcing families to…
Why Tornado Shelters Are More Than a Legal RequirementTornado shelters in schools aren’t just about checking a legal box; they are a life-or-death safeguard for students, staff, and the wider community. The U.S. experiences around 1,000 tornadoes each year, the highest frequency globally, resulting in hundreds of injuries and dozens of fatalities. In 2024 alone, tornadoes injured…
When it comes to protecting people from the devastating effects of storms, having a well-designed tornado shelter is crucial. While FEMA 320 provides valuable guidance for homeowners looking to build or buy individual tornado shelters, FEMA 361 takes things a step further by offering extensive guidelines specifically for commercial and community safe rooms. The document,…
Having a reliable commercial tornado shelter is important, but it’s not just about picking and installing a shelter. First, you must make informed decisions to ensure the safety and well-being of your team, customers, or anyone on your commercial site. There are many factors to consider that will impact the effectiveness of your shelter.In this…
Tornadoes are one of nature’s most elusive and almost mystical phenomena. As a result, a large number of myths have developed around them throughout the decades. Unfortunately, those myths can put you and your family in great danger if a tornado approaches. So, we’ll run down some of the most common:Tornadoes will not strike …
As the leading national storm shelter provider, we get asked many questions concerning community safe room/tornado shelters that we would like to share.Where is the best location for me to put these shelters?In a general location for all employees/occupants to have a quick entry time.Do you all build and install below ground commercial shelters?Yes! We…
By Ben Nunnally, Star Staff Writer, bnunnally@annistonstar.com Residents of the Thankful community west of Anniston have one more thing to be happy about: a new storm shelter on 14th Street at Thankful Community Park. The shelter — called a “community safe room” in FEMA’s codes — has room for about 96 occupants, according to Georgia-based manufacturer…
Midwesterners are known for their pioneer spirits and their ability to overcome hardships. They don’t like or expect help from outsiders, especially the government. Most believe that it isn’t up to the government to provide a community storm shelter but instead, it should be up to the individual home owners.What about those within the community who…
Last Updated: May 17, 2023 In your own city or town, or in your state, what is the importance of having a community storm shelter within reach?In Madison, Ga., it was important enough for officials to open FEMA-compliant community tornado safe rooms built and installed by Survive-A-Storm Shelters just in time for the impending storm season…
Is the suspense killing you? Okay. A powder coated safe room or storm shelter wins hands-down every time! That’s why all Survive-a-Storm safe rooms and storm shelters are powder coated to ensure that our customers receive the highest quality product on the market. Here’s how it works. Powder coating is a process of covering an…