About Hillside Storm Shelters

Hillside shelter inserts have come a long way since the days of the underground shelters. Typically, hillside shelters are wheelchair and handicap accessible, making it easy for all family members to seek safety inside. It is a welcome improvement from the steep staircases of the underground cellars of yesteryear.

History

Before electricity brought the invention of the refrigerator, rooms built into the hillside were used as cellars to keep meats, vegetables and fruit chilled after harvest. Hunters and farmers stored their bounty of food in the dark, cool confines of the underground room. Even though it was not originally meant to be a storm shelter, it was common for families to take cover from a storm down the steep stairway that led to the cellar.
The idea of building hillside storm shelters actually did not become widespread until the era of the Cold War. During the Cold War, people feared the use of nuclear weapons, so they began dotting the landscape with fallout shelters built into the ground. Soon, people began to realize that the shelters actually worked for taking cover during windstorms and tornadoes.

Significance

Hillside storm shelters offer protection during severe storms and tornadoes. Most are manufactored into steel or concrete shapes that vary from spheres, tubes, domes and rectangular boxes. They are recessed into the side of the hill, with dirt banked firmly around its exterior.
The pressure created during the devastation of a tornado keeps the hillside firmly secure due to a suction that occurs between the ground and the walls of the structure.

Types

Steel storm shelters usually require a hillside that is at least 5 feet tall. Steel shelters are rooms inserted directly into the hillside, allowing you to walk into the shelter without the need for stairs leading underground.
Steel-reinforced concrete shelters are prefabricated concrete rooms that are also inserted into the hillside. Typically, the entrance to these concrete shelters is a door made of steel.

Considerations

Consider keeping your hillside storm cellar stocked with emergency supplies such as bottled water, nonperishable food items, pillows, blankets, a radio and first aid kit.

Warning

Before purchasing a hilllside storm shelter, check your neighborhood codes. There may be certain restrictions or guidelines regarding outdoor storm shelters that would prohibit you from installing one that is inserted into the hillside.