Keep Your Home Safe And ...
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Safe Room Saving Lives In Violent Tornado Winds
Safe Room occupants are being saved from injury and even death during the violent tornado winds being experienced this year. Smart and lucky home owners and business owners who had quick access to a safe room were able to be “safe” when the violent winds hit their homes and businesses.
The safe room could have been underground, outside above ground or inside their home or business. They withstood the tremendous EF-4 and EF-5 tornadoes that have been sweeping through the US in the last couple of months.
Tuscaloosa Safe Room is Only Thing You See for 2 Miles
Tuscaloosa was hit with an EF-4 tornado on April 27, 2011. In one neighborhood, Forest Lake, the only thing you can see standing for two miles around now, is a closet safe room. The safe room was built by William Blakeney for his grandparents.
This closet safe room was constructed with 8-inch thick cinder blocks. The cinder blocks included steel rods wedged inside them and were covered in cement. These steel rods also bend through the cement ceiling. Three dead bolt locks are used to keep the door secure. The whole safe room closet is anchored to the home’s foundation.
However, the safe room is almost indistinguishable as it was also the master bedroom closet, stated Blakeney.
Don Hartley, the regional director for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, says more people will now obviously be interested in adding safe rooms and storm shelters to their homes and businesses, which is obviously a good thing.
1930′s and 1940′s Homes Were Often Built With a Safe Room or Storm Shelter
Storm shelter and safe rooms were commonly built into new homes in the 1930s and 1940s (and even earlier). These simple, yet effective safe rooms were made as a a concrete-lined hole that included a metal door that locked.
The earlier style of family storm shelter or safe room were not much bigger than a walk-in closet and were designed to hold and protect a few people for 20 or 30 minutes, not hours or days. They were made to protect family members only for the time it took for the storm to pass.
A Safe Room Could Be Added to Your Home
With the wide-spread tornadoes being experienced in 2011 (over 900 confirmed), and huge loss of lives, many people are very interested in rebuilding or adding a safe room to their home and / or business.
There are states that may offer rebates or incentives for construction of the safe rooms, usually if the room meets the FEMA standards. In addition, you may consider using a loan or credit card to purchase the safe room.
Adding a safe room could be as easy as ordering one online and having it installed by a contractor. Already built safe rooms can cost quite a bit. However, weighing the costs against the safety, it may be time to act on adding a safe room.
Zone Your Home & Business to Be Safe May 2011 Tornadoes