Residential Articles

National Storm Shelter Association Provides Tornado Shelter Oversight

This post was created in November 2013, but has been updated in 2023 for accuracy and to reflect current details. The National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA) was formed in 2001 with the idea of protecting people from tornadoes and other disasters by ensuring that their members produce and sell the highest quality storm shelters possible. The…

2022 in Tornadoes – A Look at the “Worst”

Your past 12 months are likely full of ups and downs. Looking back at 2022, many people will size up the events in their lives and the significant accomplishments or setbacks. The purpose might be to set an intention for the coming year or to figure out what we want to accomplish.At Survive-A-Storm, we’d like…

Above Ground Storm Shelters Are Safe

The statement in the headline of this post is correct, despite the belief of many that the best place to be in a tornado is underground. In fact, it has been known for some time that above-ground storm shelters are a safe and cost-effective storm shelter solution for homeowners to survive an EF5 tornado.According to a research paper…

Near Absolute Safety: Install a Safe Room

Want near absolute safety in a tornado or hurricane? Install a safe room or community storm shelter. That’s the advice from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), which has established guidelines to make sure community members are safe during extreme-wind events. Those FEMA guidelines for the design and construction of community safe rooms are based…

Introducing StormWarn - A Tornado Alert That Removes Doubt

It’s National Preparedness Month, but how prepared will you be when a tornado touches down in your area? As you may have read, the area known as tornado alley is changing, and tornados have touched down in all 50 states.If you live in an area where tornados are a common occurrence during parts of the…

The 10 Deadliest Tornadoes in US History

Tornadoes are far deadlier than most realize. Until the Weather Bureau began tornado warnings in the 1950s, tornadoes caused triple-digit death tolls surprisingly often. It is estimated that during a bad year, such as 2011, total tornado deaths in the USA might exceed two thousand if warnings didn’t exist.While tornadoes have happened in all 50…

When Is It Safe To Come Out of a Tornado Shelter After a Tornado Warning?

Tornado warnings and when it’s safe to come out. Being under a tornado warning is a stressful time. The thought of your home being damaged, eerie sirens screaming, and deep concern for your family by themselves is enough to get your blood pressure up. But, being in an unfamiliar location such as a bathtub, closet,…

The Time is Now: Create Your Tornado Safety Plan Today

Tornado season is coming fast and so now is the time to prepare a plan of action or freshen up the plan you may already have in place.For example, your tornado safety plan should include some of the following to-do tasks:Have an evacuation plan in place so that your whole family knows what to do…

Albany Tornadoes 2017: We Remember

One year ago, this month, Southwest Georgia area was caught off-guard by one of the sneakiest and most unexpected EF3 tornadoes.  Of course, there were a total of eight southern states that were affected by the swarm of tornadoes.For our Survive-a-Storm team members, however, the tornado that struck Albany was a grim reminder that what…

Remembering the Tuscaloosa Tornado of 2000

Be prepared, lest we forget. Just ask the folks who live in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.Oftentimes after a tragedy occurs, we spend the next few years honoring those who may have fallen, or who may have been affected by said tragedy.  As life goes on and we begin to heal, we move further away from the event…

Storm Shelter Grants - We Accept Them!

Texas is a state that cares about its citizens.  In fact, they care enough to put programs in place to help local citizens feel safe in their own homes.  One such program, the North Central Texas Safe Room Rebate Program, is one of the storm shelter grants that the North Central Texas Council of Governments…