Storm rooms coming to a chain near you

CNN ^ | 3/21/06 | Parija Bhatnagar

[El Gato]

This would be especially nice in Texas, Oklahoma, and anywhere else that has Tornadoes, but where basements are few and far between. Even if you had a basement, a storm room would be good, but you could just get away with some reinforcing of a corner room in the basement, or better yet as in the house of an old friend, put it under the garage slab. (Given when the house was built, I've no doubt that room was to do triple duty, as tornado, bomb and fallout shelter. Today, with a little more work on the air supply it would also serve for CBW attack shelter.

I wonder how the cost of one of these would compare to just making the walls and ceiling of a basement room of reinforced concrete?

[El Gato]

I recall a documentary about a primitive tribe in a jungle somewhere. Evidently, their principal contribution to civilization has been forgotten or has yet to be realized: they had constructed a large hut on the perimeter of the village, which was used exclusively to house women during their monthly visitation. At other times they were allowed to return to their family huts.

The folks at Ruby Ridge had a small shed for such times. Such practice is not unheard of in certain nominally Christian religious groups, right here in the USA.

[El Gato]

How about a good Army surplus CONEX container?

Be best if buried completely underground. Otherwise it's just another piece of debris flying around in the tornado.

[El Gato]

I thought hurricanes generated lots of twisters?

Little baby ones usually, compared to the killers of the plains.

Likewise, I thought those that lived in tornado alley had below ground shelters.

Not in most of the "worst" areas. Especially in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas (at least southern KS). The farmers often have a "cellar" of some sort, but the town and city folks don't even have a basement, in most cases. I'm thinking of tearing out my pool, and putting a shelter in the what is now the "deep end". (Except that we are about to begin caring for two of our great nieces, who would most likely like the pool as is, as would our granddaughter an any other grandkids to come)

[Rte66]

If it's within the house, it must be under an existing roof and ceiling of some sort and if that falls in or is destroyed, it won't hurt anything - but it still seems like it *could* fly at that point.

I just keep thinking of those little doggie "igloo" cave-like houses made of some kind of indestructible plastic - like this is the human version.

[SuzyQue]

I think this is an excellent idea. A padded room with racks of wine. Add a few good books, and it couldn't get much better.

[SWake]

http://www.keepsaferooms.com/

I have one of these (the 48 x 72 model) in my garage. I assembled it in a weekend with the help of a teenage nephew. Build a little shelf/seat/storage compartment, keep a radio with some batteries inside, and you can ride out just about anything likely to hit Ft. Worth.

Cost about $2,000, if I remember correctly.

At the farm, however, I still depend on a good, deep hole in the ground.

[SWake]

Should have pinged you to #67.

[HeadOn]

LOL... Well, living near Memphis, I gotta tell ya - I'm not sure I agree with your assessment, cause I've seen worse...