Shelter Types
Above-Ground Shelter
Also known as: safe room, in-home shelter, steel shelter
Why above-ground is now the default
Engineering testing since the early 2000s has shown that a properly anchored above-ground shelter performs the same as underground in a tornado. Above-ground avoids flooding, debris-blocked hatches, and ladder access problems that delay or prevent use of an in-ground unit.
Common formats
- Garage steel box (most common new install)
- Interior P-320 closet conversion
- Exterior bolt-down steel unit
- Concrete safe room as part of new construction
Distinguished from
- Underground shelter
- Underground units are buried, usually in the garage floor or backyard. Equal performance under ICC 500, but harder to access during a watch and prone to debris blockage afterward.
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