storm shelters

[ALACOWMAN]

looking at all the videos of the storms,, i ran across this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_0JOc7G2Vg

 

[Isomade]

I am putting one very much like that in the house we are building.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

be less labor involved on a new home, and a good investment to boot

 

[Isomade]

be less labor involved on a new home, and a good investment to boot

:nod: especially when you have 3 small children. Last night we had to carry them across the yard in high wind and rain to the storm cellar.

 

[tsmaxx47]

only problem, how do you know when it's safe to come out?

 

[dun]

only problem, how do you know when it's safe to come out?

we watch it on the portable TV and listen to the radio when the TV is out

 

[ALACOWMAN]

my concern would be getting stuck in it from debris blocking the door followed by 3 inchs of rain that would drowned you like a rat

 

[Caustic Burno]

my concern would be getting stuck in it from debris blocking the door followed by 3 inchs of rain that would drowned you like a rat

I am with you. Know a guy that buried a shipping container in the side of a hill for hurricanes. Hurricane is a 200 mile wide F-2 spawning F-3 and 4's. After Rita and Ike I could just see a big oak falling or a car getting thrown, blocking the doors from opening.

 

[chrisy]

my concern would be getting stuck in it from debris blocking the door followed by 3 inchs of rain that would drowned you like a rat

The man in the video says this can't happen, you can get out with debris over the cover. and it is waterproof. They sound like a good idea to me. Thankfully we don't get them in this part of England.

 

[slick4591]

Looks like a good idea, but I would definitely want the vehicle parked there just to help keep the debris off the door.

 

[tsmaxx47]

my wife and i bit the bullet two years ago and sprung for an additon to the house with a built in bathroom/storm room/safe room. yesterday was the first use with that storm line that headed east from oklahoma city. put ten people and four dogs in it with plenty of room to spare. the room was built on 20 inch concrete footing with concrete block walls filled with high density grout. the ceiling is a 6 inch concrete lid with mucho rebar. i just didn't like the appearance of conventional shelters (there's no easy way to hide them) and i thought the one alacowman referred to was too small. there's always extra people without shelter during a storm and we just can't refuse them. only regret i have is i wanted to fire a high power handgun at the wall to test the penetration and i didn't get around to it. the architech said that technically it couldn't qualify for a tornado shelter because it has two doors (each with triple dead bolts), but having two ways to escape trumps technicalities every time....

 

[manitgotcoldhere2]

Why do most people not have basements in the south?

 

[Anonymous]

Usually water table levels in the south prevent building a basement

 

[manitgotcoldhere2]

Usually water table levels in the south prevent building a basement

Is subsurface drainage not allowed there?

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know, but round here you can't pump the water out fast enough 1/2 the year. Right now during this drought its only 8 ft down to water

 

[manitgotcoldhere2]

I don't know, but round here you can't pump the water out fast enough 1/2 the year. Right now during this drought its only 8 ft down to water

This year here it is at 3 feet before you hit water, makes for drilling post holes a muddy mess. Oh well thats why we have tile I guess.