A tractor, once parked in a semi-trailer unit to protect it from the elements, fell victim to the forces of a tornado. FEMA photo by Win Henderson

Tornados are nature's most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornados can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Every state is at some risk from this hazard.

Some tornados are clearly visible, while rain or nearby low-hanging ...
[Read full story]

Safe rooms can be designed with many different materials. Concrete block walls, formed concrete walls and a special ceiling framing are shown. Photo by Kent Baxter/ FEMA News Photo

Preparing a Safe Room

Saferooms

Know Your Risk And Have A Safe Place To Go… with Time to Get There

When severe weather threatens, individuals and families need advance warning and protection from the dangerous forces of extreme winds. Individuals and communities in high-risk tornado and hurricane areas need structurally sound shelters and early alert systems.

Extreme windstorms in many parts of the country pose a serious threat to buildings and their occupants. Your residence may be built "to code," but that does not mean it ...
[Read full story]

Battlefield, MO,May 14, 2003 -- Gary and Barbara Silvey rushed to their saferoom moments before the tornado hit. Photo by Adam DuBrowa/FEMA

A: Costs for construction vary across the United States. The cost for constructing a safe room inside a new house, which can double as a master closet, bathroom or utility room, is between $2,500 and $6,000 depending on the following factors:

• The type of foundation on which your house is built
• The size and location of the shelter

A: Typically, due to foundation size and location limitations, a ...
[Read full story]