Standards & Codes
FEMA P-361
Also known as: P-361, community safe room criteria
When P-361 applies
P-361 governs community shelters. If a single facility is intended to shelter 16 or more people during a tornado or hurricane, P-361 is the controlling federal document. For one- and two-family homes, use P-320 instead.
Funding tie-in
FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding for community shelters typically requires P-361 compliance and ICC 500 test reports as a condition of award.
Distinguished from
- FEMA P-320
- P-320 is residential (one or two families). P-361 is community-scale (16+ occupants).
Authority: FEMA P-361, 4th edition. Last reviewed 2026-06-04.
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