Because the integrity of the construction is essential in order to achieve a safe installation, it is best to involve professional designers and builders involved in any safe room project.įEMA P-320 was first published in 1998, and in 2014, was revised to the fourth edition. Even though P-320 provides prescriptive designs, that is, engineered solutions for building safe rooms, this would be a pretty significant do-it-yourself project. This article provides a summary of constructing a concrete masonry safe room based on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business. While the criteria apply to safe rooms for use by up to 16 people, this article will refer to building to mean both residential or commercial structures.įEMA P-320 is primarily intended for homeowners, builders and contractors, but can also be used by design professionals and local officials for decision-making guidance on tornado and hurricane safe rooms. These facts make a strong case for the need for safe rooms. Taking a longer view of the situation, Figure 1 maps six decades of strong tornadoes. The area goes beyond tornado alley to include 42 states and the District of Columbia. According to the most recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center data, nine out of ten (89.6%) continental US counties have experienced a tornado watch since 2003, with affected families spending a whopping 27 hours per year under tornado watches. US activity for EF3, EF4 and EF5 tornadoes from 1950 through 2013īecause people spend so much time at home and at work, having a safe room in their home or small business can be important.
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