Tornado/Hurricane Safe Rooms FAQs
Q: What is the cost of installing a safe room in a new home?
A:
Costs for construction vary across the United States. The cost for constructing
a safe room inside a new house, which can double as a master closet, bathroom
or utility room, is between $2,500 and $6,000 depending on the following
factors:
-
The type of foundation on which your house is built
-
The size and location of the shelter
Q: Can I install a safe room in an existing home?
A:
Typically, due to foundation size and location limitations, a
retrofitted safe room is usually installed as a separate addition to an
existing home or as a detached structure. Sometimes, with proper foundation
preparation, it is possible to install a safe room in a garage or a basement.
Q: Can a homeowner build the safe room themselves?
A:
A homeowner who builds a shelter should be skilled in building construction.
Some pre-fabricated manufactured shelters are available that require less
building construction experience to successfully build. In purchasing any
shelter, the homeowner should ask for documentation that it meet FEMA's
recommendations.
Q: Where is the best location for the safe room?
A:
A small interior room above grade is the best location for a safe room.
Safe rooms are often used for other non-emergency purposes. Bathrooms and large
closets are a frequent choice. Because warning times for tornadoes can be very
short, quick access to the safe room is important in choosing location. If the
owners have any special accessibility needs these should be considered in the
location and design of the safe room.
Q: Where can I find additional information and plans for safe room
construction?
A: You can order FEMA's publication 320, Taking Shelter From the Storm:
Building a Safe Room Inside Your House, and the accompanying construction plans
and specifications by calling 1-888-565-3896 to request a copy of publication
FEMA 320. You can also visit the FEMA Safe Room website at
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/saferoom/index.shtm.
Q: Are homeowners in hurricane-prone areas as well as tornado areas being
encouraged to build safe rooms?
A:
An increasing number of homeowners are building safe rooms to protect their
families from the high winds of hurricanes, or because they are unsure whether
they will be able to safely evacuate an area. However, homeowners in
flood-prone or storm surge areas should evacuate to provide safety for
themselves or their families when a hurricane threatens.
Q: What is the market for residential safe rooms? Who wants them?
A: FEMA has not conducted market research for residential homes. However, since 1999, over 345,000 copies of the
safe room publication FEMA 320 have been distributed. Informal surveys of individuals who ordered this publication found that approximately one quarter of those surveyed thought they would build a safe room within one year. In areas that have recently been affected by hurricanes or tornadoes, the interest in safe rooms is much higher.
Q: My house has a basement; do I need a safe room?
A:
Some strong tornadoes have resulted in loss of the floor framing, collapse of
basement walls, and death and injuries to individuals in the basement. What
constitutes an acceptable level of protection is an individual decision. The
basement is the safest place to seek shelter for homes without a safe room.
However, basements do not provide the same level of protection as a safe room.
Basements are a good location to install a shelter or build a safe room but
access for handicapped or physically challenged individuals may be limited.
Q: Do any local jurisdictions require safe rooms?
A:
Local jurisdictions generally do not have a requirement for safe rooms.
However, some communities have offered incentives for owners who wish to build
a shelter including reduced property taxes.
Q: Are inspections required?
A:
It is always important to get proper building permits and inspections for all
construction. The builder or owner should ensure that the shelter is built
according to the plans in FEMA 320 or to plans that, through testing and
engineering have been determined to meet the National Performance Criteria for
Tornado Shelters produced by FEMA. This will usually require additional quality
control inspections by the contractor or the homeowner.
Q: Is there a FEMA approval process?
A:
There is not a FEMA approval process. The designs in FEMA 320 meet
FEMA's goal of providing near absolute protection if they are constructed as
shown in the plans. Other shelters that meet the criteria in National
Performance Criteria for Tornado Shelters also meet this goal.
Q: Where do I find the doors and hardware for my in-residence shelter?
A:
The door can be either field fabricated or store-bought. The fabricated
door consists of 2 layers of 3/4-inch plywood and one sheet of 11-gauge steel.
The manufactured door, a hollow metal door and frame 14, 16, or 20 gauge, can
be purchased from your local building supply center. The 14-gauge door will
probably have to be special ordered. The 16 and 20 gauge steel doors must be
strengthened with a single layer of 14-gauge steel on one side of the door.
Solid core wood doors in a hollow metal frame will also work if 11 gauge steel
sheet is attached to the door.
The plywood door is recommended as a sliding pocket door with a supplemental
swinging door for daily use. The sliding hardware is obtainable from most metal
building systems retailers. The swing door hardware includes three heavy-duty
ball bearing hinges and three residential grade mortise deadbolts with a
one-inch throw. Surface applied slide bolts may be used, but the deadbolts are
preferable because they are unlockable from either side.
Q: How do I find vendors for shelters or safe room construction?
A:
The designs in FEMA 320 can be built by most residential contractors. The
qualifications and reputation of any contractor can be checked by the homeowner
for all projects. If you are unsure of any shelter product, you should contact
your local or state emergency management office. FEMA can provide your local
emergency manager assistance in answering questions. The Wind Engineering
Research Center at Texas Tech University also provides technical guidance about
shelters. Their toll free number is 1-(888) 946-3287, ext. 336.
Q: Besides FEMA guidance, what other codes and standards are there for safe
rooms and community shelters?
A:
Currently, the International Code Council (ICC) is developing a consensus
standard for the design and construction of hurricane and tornado shelters.
This new standard should be available for adoption in the summer of 2006.
Currently, design and guidance exists in FEMA 320, Taking Shelter from the
Storm, Building a Safe Room Inside Your House, FEMA 361, Design and
Construction Guidance for Community Shelters, and the National Storm Shelter
Association (NSSA) shelter standard.