How To Build A Storm Shelter In Your Own Backyard

If you live in the Tornado Alley where violent storms and tornados occur frequently, you must not be alien to storm shelters. Protection from high-speed winds, flying debris, and even lightning in some cases, is an absolute necessity when a tornado is incoming.

Concrete storm shelters, also called safe rooms, offer a safe haven for you and your family to stay in as a tornado wreaks havoc in your town. Many people indeed seek refuge inside their homes, but most houses are not built to be tornado-proof, and don’t offer the best protection. Being prepared for the worst is the most prudent plan of action, and this blog aims to bring you one step closer to being crisis-ready in the face of a tornado.

Building your storm shelter is no easy weekend DIY project. Don’t forget, the structure you are planning to build in your backyard is expected to shield you and your family from violent winds and flying objects. In such a scenario, two main qualities are expected of a storm shelter:

It Needs To Be Rooted Firmly

Take it from a professional storm shelter construction company: your storm shelter is not good if it is not properly fixated in the ground. High-speed winds are more powerful than we imagine. If they can uproot strong trees and billboards, your loosely rooted backyard storm shelter is a piece of cake for them. This is why storm shelters need a dedicated reinforced concrete base which is made separately from the rest of the house’s structure.

Shock Absorbent Exterior

High-speed winds suck up all kinds of objects from cities. Anything could be up there in a tornado from metallic auto parts to strollers and metal sheets from billboards and rooftops. One of the biggest issues faced by people who take refuge in substandard shelters is that damage from flying debris to the outer shield compromises the whole shelter within minutes. Professionally made storm shelters, therefore, have multiple layers of ‘insulation’ designed to absorb the worst kinds of shocks.

Many other considerations are crucial to building a long-lasting storm shelter. If building your own concrete storm shelter seems too much to do on your own (and it is, honestly), get in touch with Oklahoma Shelters, a certified and trusted storm shelter service, to get a free quote.  Call us at 405-367-7901 to learn about our products, such as underground bunkers and garage shelters, or visit our website.