"The safest place in a home is the interior part of a basement," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. If you can clear out a spot under the stairs in your basement, that is likely one of the safest places in your home.
The safest place in the home is the interior part of a basement. If there is no basement, go to an inside room, without windows, on the lowest floor. This could be a center hallway, bathroom, or closet.
A safe room is a hardened structure specifically designed to meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) criteria and provide near-absolute protection in extreme wind events, including tornadoes and hurricanes.
A safe room can be built or installed anywhere in a house, but it must be a “room within a room.” That is, it's walls, ceiling, and floor must be structurally separate from the rest of the house, so that even if the surrounding house is destroyed, the safe room will remain intact.
Fire is the second biggest threat to your home. The most secure place to install a safe would be at the corner where two outside walls meet. This provides the most protection and support for a heavy safe. In a house that has multiple levels, it's best to keep the safe on the ground floor.
This can be done by adding plywood or steel panels to the existing wall studs. Additionally, ensure that your closet door can withstand high winds; a solid-core door is a great option. Another important aspect is to stock your tornado shelter with essential supplies.
The acceptable level of protection is an individual decision. A basement may be the safest place to seek shelter in a home without a safe room, but the basement will not provide the same level of protection as a safe room unless it has been designed and constructed in accordance with the criteria in FEMA P-361.
FEMA provides guidance and best practices on safe room design and construction, participates in safe room-related standard and building code development, provides funding for safe rooms and monitors a safe room helpline to answer safe room-related technical questions.
DIY safe room wall tips
For existing homes, modular ballistic panels are the way to go. You can purchase bulletproof panels in standard sheet sizes and add them to existing walls.
So, while it's not a foolproof plan — remember that bathtubs aren't inherently heavy enough to stand firm no matter what — sheltering yourself in the tub is a good idea if your bathroom is windowless and located in your home's interior.
Hazards. Though the eye is by far the calmest and quietest part of the storm (at least on land), with no wind at the center and typically clear skies, it is possibly the most hazardous area on the ocean. In the eyewall, wind-driven waves all travel in the same direction.
Researchers from Texas Tech University claim that there is no evidence of above-ground safe room failures. While underground shelters are certainly an excellent way to protect yourself from a tornado, above-ground units are just as effective.
Those who are not evacuating and are staying in their homes should have extra drinking water at the ready, though. Bathtub water is, instead, for other bathroom-related purposes, like bathing and flushing the toilet — the latter of which could be crucial if you lose running water.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the best place to be during a tornado is the interior portion of a basement, and the least desirable place to be during a tornado is in a motor vehicle. Therefore, taking shelter is your best bet.
Texas leads the nation in the number of tornadoes that occur each year on average, followed by Kansas. Texas leads the nation for the average number each year only because of its size.
What is the 50% rule? The 50% Rule is a regulation of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that prohibits improvements to a structure exceeding 50% of its market value unless the entire structure is brought into full compliance with current flood regulations.
Ideally, the safe room would be located at the interior rather than the exterior of the home, and have no accessible windows. The safe room should have a sturdy door that is capable of preventing an intruder from forcing his way into the room through the door.
If you qualify for the full $43,600 in FEMA housing aid, you will probably qualify for an additional $10,000 in aid from the California State Supplemental Grant Program. This aid can be used on rental expenses, housing repairs or rebuild, replacement of personal property, medical expenses, etc.
The rooms buyers most closely inspect (and judge) in a house are the kitchen and master bath. These are the interior spaces where the most value can be added during a sale, so they need to look their best.
Panic Room Costs
On the low end, converting a closet or extra room into a panic room usually starts around $3,000. Plywood reinforcements for a closet cost about $2,500, and bullet-resistant electronic doors start at $22,000. Add another $3,000 to $10,000 if it's professionally designed.
Closets and interior hallways are often best because of the lack of windows, which can explode or be blown in during tornadoes. Put as many walls between you and the exterior of your home as possible. Bathrooms are also often a good choice.
Turning a closet into a safe room is a simple way to upgrade the security of your home. Adding more fire protection, structure, and armor along with a strong vault door makes a closet safe room a great addition to any home.
A tornado shelter costs $7,643 on average, with most people paying between $2,892 and $13,281. Your final tornado shelter cost will depend on the shelter's size, installation complexity, the type of shelter, and your geographic location.