Tornado shelter - anyone have one (Murfreesboro, Fairfield Glade: fit in, house, buying)

[46Barb]

After having hid in a closet with 2 adults and 6 animals with tornado warnings, I need to do something. I've only been here 4 months from the new england and this is the worst kind of storm I've been through with fear of the unknown.

We are looking into buying a tornado shelter since we can't afford to move. does anyone have or know about these shelters?

Thank you for any info you can give us.

[Capt. Dan]

Always a wise investment here in Tennessee. We have a root cellar at the back of our house as many older homes do. we use it for storing fruits and veggies and tornado shelter. i am glad you are okay.

[Tek_Freek]

FEMA Library - Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room Inside Your House

[Tek_Freek]

We are designing our retirement home for Fairfield Glade. Here is a portion of the basement.

[hiknapster]

Isn't it better to go underground? It wasn't so long ago that a tornado struck a brick school and students were killed.

[46Barb]

We are looking into a premanufactured structure that can be delivered and put onto our concrete floor in the garage. It's expensive but I'd rather spend the money than lose a life.

[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Isn't it better to go underground? It wasn't so long ago that a tornado struck a brick school and students were killed.

If a structure is built correctly it can withstand a tornado.

The danger of being below ground is water. If it can get in you could be in trouble. Take extra care to waterproof.

[Suburban Family]

BUILD A SHELTER BELOW GROUND! Above ground shelters would probably fail in larger tornados. Most people are killed from the debris flying around. Will the above ground shelter be able to stop something heavy (large oak tree) moving at 200+ mph? It's just not worth the chance to find out.
Go below ground! Do it yourself or have a professional do it for you. Do not put it off. You need to protect yourself and your family. 2/5/08 should be a wake up call for everyone! Thank God that you're okay.

[kerafaith]

The end of our driveway, 1 side is a hill. Many moons ago, way before my time (will be 26 in April) my grandfather dug a hole there in that hill. He then drove a bus (a full size bus) into said hole. He then lifted the motor & trannie out of it framed it with cinder blocks, made a sort of enterence way into the back of the bus & then put dirt back on top of the bus. That is our "storm house", as it has always been called. Oh and he removed all of the seats except 2. They took various lawn chairs down there to sit in.

I can remember, as a child, being made to go down there & ,seriously, like 15-20 people (sometimes more) would come to our house & use the "storm house" whenever it would get "rough" outside. In fact my brother, his pregant wife, 7 their 2 year old son, & my cousin went down there & used it last night. I didn't, my mom & I stayed in the house.

The 1 thing I have never been able to understand is my grandfather would make all of us go to the storm house. Then he & all of the other men would go outside & just stand there looking up at the sky. What was the point in that? Oh, well.

[TNkudzu]

Bad weather doesn’t bother me much but my wife stays up all night watching the TV. I put a shelter in the garage anchored it to the concrete floor. We have too many rocks around here to go underground.

Have not used it and hope we never will.

Ours is a 2 person one but 4 people could fit into it easily.

Got it from Tornado Safe Room in Murfreesboro it is well made and tested.
Floyd did a good job installing it.

Tornado Shelter