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Safe Rooms Offer “Near-Absolute Withstand the Peak Protection” During These Devastating Events

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Safe Rooms Offer “Near-Absolute Withstand the Peak Protection” During These Devastating Events FEMA Building Where Can I Find More Guidelines Information? BUSINESS NAME The following rules are only a few of the federal guidelines established by FEMA. More informa - tion, including building plans and materials are available by calling 1 -800-480-2520 and request- ing publication FEMA P -320 (titled “Taking Shel- ter From the Storm: Building a Safe Room For Product/Service Information Your Home or Small Business”) or at the FEMA Safe Room website ( www.fema.gov/safe-rooms). High Winds - Tested with a 3 -second gust of 250 mph • Walls, doors, and ceil- An EF4 tornado struck Henryville, IN (Clark Co.) on ings must be able to March 2, 2012. Safe rooms offer “near-absolute withstand the peak protection” during these devastating events. wind velocity without buckling or separating • The shelter cannot Much more information is available online regarding overturn or slide A storm shelter that specifications, pricing options, and other details. FEMA survived a deadly maintains a general storm shelter information site at: De bris - Tested with a Moore, Oklahoma www.fema.gov/safe-rooms 15 lb. two-by-four EF5 tornado. wooden board propelled The National Storm Shelter Association standard, along at 100 mph (250 mph wind speed equivalent) with other industry news, is available at: Safe Rooms www.nssa.cc • The walls and ceiling of a shelter must resist penetration by a test object The best way to protect you and Texas Tech University’s National Wind Institute provides information on research, education, and all things wind: your family from tornadoes. Other Requirements www.depts.ttu.edu/nwi • Shelters must have a protected ventilation system Also, be sure to check out NOAA/NWS long-time partner • Shelters should have at least a fire extinguish- FLASH (Federal Alliance for Safe Homes) for safe room er, flashlights, first-aid kit, 8 hours supply of ideas and pricing: drinking water, and a NOAA Weather Radio www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/hwsafe And of course, for your best source of area weather in- Additional Requirements for Underground formation and more details on storm shelters, visit our Sh elters website at: • Shelters must be watertight and resist flota - www.weather.gov/louisville tion due to saturated soil Department of Commerce • Shelters must contain a transmitter of some National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sort to signal the location of the shelter to emergency personnel, should debris trap shel- National Weather Service ter occupants Louisville, Kentucky Why do I need Are there different types What’s the best a safe room? of safe rooms? safe room? You may hear a lot about “Tornado Alley” in the There are three main types of safe rooms that are There’s no one authority to tell you what is the best safe Great Plains, but southern Indiana and central designed to protect you from severe weather. While room, nor can the federal government endorse a specific Kentucky have an impressive record of tornadoes each one is designed to keep you and your family type of safe room as being “the best.” However, safety and associated damage: safe, each has its own pros and cons. standards for safe rooms and shelter components have Southern Indiana and central Kentucky have been established by the Federal Emergency Manage- experienced over 600 tornadoes since 1830. Underground: A modern ver- ment Agency (FEMA) to ensure that you will be protect- Tornadoes can occur during any time of the sion of the old “storm cellars,” ed in most tornadoes, while the National Storm Shelter year in our area, but most occur between March these rooms are usually safe and June. from flying debris and high Association has also established a safe room standard. winds, but are less likely to be There have been 64 killer tornadoes, resulting occupied if access requires in 435 fatalities. The most recent killer tornado occurred on March 2, 2012 when an EF4 killed outdoor exposure. Installation can be a problem, 11 people in southern Indiana. depending on the type of rock and the water table in your area. Jefferson County, Kentucky has had the most tornadoes of any county, with 33. In-residence: These act more like fortified closets, so they are more accessible when a tornado approaches. They are usually built into a new house using reinforced concrete, reinforced masonry, or wood/steel combinations. Building one into an existing house can be difficult and costly. Alternatives include The Wind Science and Engineering Research Center (WISE) pre-built metal shelters that are not only easier to install at Texas Tech University tests various safe rooms and their but can be placed almost anywhere in the house. components. One test uses this air cannon, which shoots 15-pound two-by-four wooden boards at safe room walls Community: If a family safe room is not an option, and doors to simulate flying debris. (Photo courtesy WISE) community safe rooms can hold multiple families (from 12 to as many as several hundred). Commonly used in The Wind Science and Research Center at Texas Tech manufactured housing areas, these shelters are usually University performs these tests on safe rooms and vari- above ground, exposing them to flying debris but saving ous shelter components to see if they meet both sets of many more lives than the safety that a typical home can provide. guidelines. Along with using a high-powered air cannon as shown above, researchers also use a wind tunnel to Our area can get hit hard with tornadoes, and the recom- simulate the high winds and stress that walls would mended “interior room or closet” may not always be If a safe room is not a viable option, remember to seek encounter. Depending on the type of shelter that is enough if a violent tornado hits. That’s why you should shelter in the center of a basement underneath something right for you, these tests and guidelines can help you consider building or buying a safe room for your family or sturdy. Protect yourself from debris. If a basement is not choose the shelter that can best protect your family business. It only takes one tornado to make a storm shel- available, seek refuge in a small interior room on the low- when a real tornado hits. ter worth the cost. est level of your home or business, away from windows. .
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