How to Buy a Storm Shelter in Oklahoma

Tornadoes threaten both urban and rural areas. The safest place is in an underground room such as a storm cellar.

Projects funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency have shown that taking cover in storm shelters during tornadic events saves lives, but many Oklahomans have yet to build a storm shelter for their home. The cost is relatively low, and government at all levels provide funding programs to help fund storm shelters. Buying a shelter may seem daunting, but the process is simple and the benefits immeasurable.

Instructions

1. Define your needs. Look at various storm shelter designs and decide what's best for your situation. Take into consideration whether you want an above ground or underground shelter, an interior or exterior shelter, the material of shelter construction--concrete, steel, fiberglass--and its thickness, the number of people likely to seek shelter there, comfort considerations such as seating and ventilation, alternate exits in case the entry becomes blocked, possibility of flooding and soil freezing and your yard's ground and bedrock conditions.

2. Determine your budget. Expect to pay between $2,500 and $6,000 for a residential safe room or storm shelter. When constructing an interior safe room in a new construction project, cost will depend upon the size and location of the shelter and the structure's foundation type. The cost of a free-standing storm shelter will include the prefabricated structure's cost, shipping/transport and professional installation.

3. Apply for grants and loans. The federal government provides a number of loans and grants to help make storm shelters an affordable alternative for individuals and communities. These include SBA Disaster Loans, Community Development Block Grant, HUD FHA Mortgage Insured Financing, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Funds, Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program Funds and USDA Rural Repair and Rehabilitation Grants. Contact the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and your local council of government to learn of specific state funding initiatives which vary from year to year depending on funding availability.

4. Purchase the shelter. If you choose an exterior storm shelter, compare manufacturers to determine which has the design that best meets your needs. The Tornado Project provides a linked list of storm shelter manufacturers, as well as a list of those that have passed wind resistance tests by the Texas Tech Wind Engineering Institute. While comparison shopping, consider whether engineers designed the shelter, the shelter's warranty and its coverage, warranty exceptions, shipping costs and methods, installation options, each company's service plans, maintenance requirements, each company's length of time in business and its reputation and references of prior customers.

5. Construct the shelter. Professional installation is a part of the purchase of a prefabricated storm shelter. A custom-built shelter should be undertaken by a professional construction contractor. FEMA provides free plans and specifications for shelter construction, available for download from its website.

6. Apply for rebates. Contact the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management to learn whether the Oklahoma Residential Shelter Initiative is active. This is an intermittent program that provides rebates for 75 percent of the cost of a shelter, up to $2,000. Also, contact your local and county emergency management offices to learn of any rebates available. These are sometimes offered post-disaster when awareness of the need is highest, such as following the 2009 Lone Grove, Oklahoma, tornado that killed eight people and seriously injured 14.

References

• The Tornado Project: Storm Shelters
• FEMA: Frequently Asked Questions Tornado/Hurricane Safe Rooms
• Storm Safe Rooms: Texas Tech Tested
• The Tornado Project: More on Shelters
• FEMA: Residential Safe Room Initiatives

Resources

• The Tornado Project: Welcome
• FEMA: Taking Shelter From the Storm: Building a Safe Room For Your Home or Small Business