Tornado Safe Rooms Take Center Stage at Local Event Public Safety Awareness Day

Sioux City, Iowa -- On July 28, 1999, Lite-Form workers demonstrated the ease of constructing a tornado safe room. The cement-filled, foam-formed walls are reinforced with steel rebar and may be built into new housing or added inside or outside to existing structures at a relatively low cost. Its construction is simple enough that it can be built by do-it-yourselfers.

All photos by Dave Gatley, FEMA News Photo

The foam sections are so light that they can be easily assembled by one or two people, as this Lite-Form worker demonstrates.
 The foam sections are so light that they can be easily assembled by one or two people, as this Lite-Form worker demonstrates.

Lite-Form workers lift the lightweight pre-assembled wall section into place  
Lite-Form workers lift the lightweight pre-assembled wall section into place over the cement slab foundation. In the background on the left, a completed shape of a safe room can be seen.

Lite-Form workers assemble the roof panels which will have rebar and cement to cover them. 
Lite-Form workers assemble the roof panels which will have rebar and cement to cover them.

Lite-Form workers prepare the roofing with rebar prior to pouring cement. 
Lite-Form workers prepare the roofing with rebar prior to pouring cement.

Lite-Form workers pour cement into the walls and roofing of the safe room. 
Lite-Form workers pour cement into the walls and roofing of the safe room.

Lloyd Lynn looks at the display of damages brought by tornadoes displayed on the interior walls of this display safe room built by Lite-Form. 
Lloyd Lynn looks at the display of damages brought by tornadoes displayed on the interior walls of this display safe room built by Lite-Form.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 01-Aug-2006 12:07:26 EDT