FEMA Strongly Encourages Homeowners and Communities to Build Safe Rooms and Shelters but Cannot Endorse or Approve Specific Manufacturers or Producers
FEMA Designs
FEMA has produced specific designs for tornado and hurricane safe rooms (shelters) that are set forth in the FEMA publication number 320, Taking Shelter From the Storm: Building a Safe Room in Your House. FEMA has also produced guidance for larger community shelters that is available in FEMA 361, Design and Construction Guidance for Community Shelters.
Other Shelters
In addition, FEMA has produced the National Performance Criteria for Tornado Shelters (NPC). For designs different from those in FEMA 320, the NPC provides general guidance on how to achieve the same level of safety. The National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA) has also developed an industry standard for shelters. The NSSA standard provides specific guidance on underground shelters not available in FEMA publications. Shelters built to the NSSA standard provide an "equal or higher" level of protection as the NPC. FEMA strongly encourages manufacturers of safe rooms to consider the NSSA standard or the NPC in the design and construction of their products. However, the determination of a manufacturer that their product meets the NSSA standard or the NPC does not constitute FEMA approval or endorsement.
Building Permits
Individuals considering purchasing or installing a safe room should contact their local building official about building code requirements but should bear in mind that the extreme loads generated by tornadoes are not covered under model building code requirements. FEMA 320, the NSSA standard, the NPC or FEMA 361 can all be used to address these extreme loads.
Last Modified: Thursday, 26-Oct-2006 16:44:32 EDT