Shopping storm shelters-Survive-a-Storm Shelters any good?

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xseler

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I honestly didn’t realize there were so many options.
As we have 5 acres I’m leaning towards an in ground installation in our side yard. We have a flood control dam/pond adjacent to and below our property so I’m not too worried about flooding, but I do like the idea of not being underneath my truck/house if it should collapse.

If you've got the room, put it on the SW side of the house. Most tornados move from the SW to the NE. If one does get your house, you'd be less likely to have debris covering the shelter access. JMO

Best of luck in your decision!
 

TwoForFlinching

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This channel has a ton of videos. They break storm shelters, then engineer structure updates to make em nearly bomb proof. I have no dog in the fight, I'm usually in the van following twisters.

 

Grendelshooter

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Ok so more questions here:
Is there any real disadvantage to having the sloped concrete shelter vs completely underground?
Accessibility is a bit of an issue-I’ll have two small kids and two large dogs, so ladders are out. That seems to leave me with the sloped concrete versions. Assuming the slope is built into the terrain are they that much more vulnerable than the completely underground units?
 

Shadowrider

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I'll put it this way. I lived in Moore when the May 3rd of 1999 rolled through. A house my family lived in when I graduated HS was picked up with half the solid slab foundation going with it. Literally all that was left was half the slab. It was not the only house that had that happen in our old neighborhood (my mom and siblings hadn't lived there for 3 years by that point). If you are going to spend that much money, buy an underground shelter. It would be the only thing that would survive an F5E tornado.
^^^ That...

I also live in Moore and couldn't be happier with my Tornado Safe shelter in the garage floor. Well, I'd be happier if I could have put one in outside but the city wouldn't let me because of some BS 15' property line rule and there was no way for them to get access to the backyard to do one adjacent to my patio. But that's not the the company's fault. It was a lot cheaper too!
 

Cowcatcher

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If we ever put one in, it will be an in-ground and away from trees and structures. Even though it will be registered, we could be waiting a while for someone to come remove stuff off the door. I'm no pro with a bunch of research but it just makes sense to me. Oh, I'd really like a periscope in it cuz I hate not knowing what's going on around me.
 

Shadowrider

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You ain't missing anything, Only add I have to below ground is air source, some of those in ground they install in the garage or house have no air source other than some vents at the top edge!! Even a small fire would suck the air right out of the shelter, pipe an additional air source in if you put a below ground in the house!! If I were doing it I would get one separate from the house and below ground.
In mine a have a 7200lb hi-lift jack, a 3/4" piece of plywood that spans the width of the floor for reinforcing the floor (just for added piece of mind of the jack piercing it), and some 2x4 beams. Both halves of the top of mine are removable from the inside though only one of them rolls. If I have to, my plan is to jack it up enough to crawl out but I should be able to at least get some air. If I can't get out it's GPS'd so I'll wait. Flooding isn't a concern in my location.
 

Cowcatcher

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In mine a have a 7200lb hi-lift jack, a 3/4" piece of plywood that spans the width of the floor for reinforcing the floor (just for added piece of mind of the jack piercing it), and some 2x4 beams. Both halves of the top of mine are removable from the inside though only one of them rolls. If I have to, my plan is to jack it up enough to crawl out but I should be able to at least get some air. If I can't get out it's GPS'd so I'll wait. Flooding isn't a concern in my location.
YES! The Hi-Lift! I will add that to my plan! Those dangerous weapons are the greatest invention evah!
 

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