Does Putting Tornado Shelter in Garage Floor Compromise Slab? (Dallas: transplants, 2014)

[loves2read]

anyone read the story about the family in Oklahoma I believe who were in their tornado shelter and had something fall on the door and water from the rain accompaning the tornado was filling the shelter with water and they couldn't get OUT!!!

pretty scary...

[arleigh]

If the house colapses you won't be able to get out.

[TGentry]

Originally Posted by f4shionablecha0s

I don't think 6000 dollars is a realistic estimate for the kind of tornado shelter your envisioning. They're going to CUT THROUGH YOUR FOUNDATION. For 6000 dollars? Get real.

According to the website, there's also a huge waitlist and you can't start construction until after you're approved. Oh yeah, it can also take 12 months to get reimbursed.

I'm shocked that anyone would waste so much money on such a dumb project for an area that gets tornados so rarely. I'm SHOCKED that my tax money is going to reimburse the people who are doing so. There should be an investigation into this program...

I think $6000 is definitely in the ballpark. The grant administrative program is the North Central Texas Safe Room Rebate Program. I put my name on the list for a grant about 2 years ago. My number is now up. I am aware there can be a delay in getting reimbursed, and we know we can't start construction until our application has been approved.

I just recently submitted the required paperwork and expect approval within the next three weeks. There are thousands of households on the wait-list now. Each county funds only a handful of safe-rooms twice a year. (It's a ridiculously small number... maybe 9 per county.)

[TGentry]

I just checked their website. It appears they have changed the wording. Before, they stated only 9 applicants per county would be approved each round. This is how it now reads:

The waitlist currently has over 10,000 people on it. Each round of the program provides around 20-140 rebate opportunities for each county in the NCTCOG region. Contingent on program funding, eligible waitlisted applicants will be notified of the opportunity to submit documentation for acceptance into the program during July and January of each year.

It goes on to state: This is a rebate program. Once you are accepted into the program you will be expected to pay for the total cost of your safe room out-of-pocket. The average cost of a safe room is $3,000 - $6,000.

[LeagleEagleDFW]

This is the biggest waste of money I've read about in a long time.

[RabidTiger]

You're not supposed to cut the cables in a post tension slab. It's not just rebar in there.

Check with a real structural/foundation engineer.

[Rakin]

Rebate sounds like a scam to get it sold. Pay us now and "Maybe" you'll get a rebate.

No way would I cut into a Post tension slab.

[whj3773]

why dont you just get an above ground shelter? to others on here that say north texas never gets big tornado - look at the cisco one and the van one just this year - its a matter of odds on location, even if the odds are small, bet those people would of liked a shelter

[Threestep2]

Weather related damage gets forgotten rather quickly. Tornadoes do hit in this area.

We went the grant route with Tarrant County. Ft. Worth building permit was an experience to say it nicely.
Above ground in the garage option. No moving vehicles and dragging cat boxes down stairs. F5 rated, linked into GPS with emergency services. We used it. To me it is more peace of mind. Knowing it is there. Those who have never been through a tornado do not know what it feels like. TV and UTube is no substitute.
Should a buyer not want it not problem. It will move to OK with us and be the perfect storage for reloading components.

There are plenty of fly by nights around who try to hitch a ride on this trend. FEMA and the national tornado associations were helpful during our research.

[jennifw]

hmmm... They do this in Oklahoma all of the time and there is no concern about the slabs there. My neighbor had one put in while we were there and it took less than 2 hours. I think their cost was less, but the companies in OK probably do a lot more than here in Dallas.

I would do it in a heartbeat just for peace of mind.