Safe Rooms Save Lives 

FEMA/NEMA Encourage Nebraska Residents at Risk to Build Safe Rooms

Release Date: June 21, 2004
Release Number: 1517-028

» More Information on Nebraska Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

LINCOLN, Neb. -- In the wake of the tornadoes and damaging winds that struck Nebraska causing massive destruction and taking the life of one resident in late May, officials from the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) are urging residents of tornado-prone areas to construct a Safe Room in their home.

The map demonstrates the variation of wind zones across the Heartland. The moderately shaded area is prone to wind speeds of up to 200 mph. The darker shaded area is prone to wind speeds of up to 250 mph.

Extreme windstorms such as tornadoes, pose a serious threat to buildings and their occupants. Tornadoes strong enough to damage and destroy structures, snap or uproot large trees, and turn debris into wind-driven missiles have occurred across the state.

A Safe Room is essentially a specially designed closet. It is built to withstand extreme wind hazards such as tornadoes. A Safe Room can be constructed either above or below ground with either reinforced concrete or wood-and-steel walls anchored to a concrete slab foundation or floor. FEMA has developed standards for safe room construction to ensure that damage to the house will not cause damage to the shelter.

The purpose of a Safe Room is to provide a space where you and your family can seek shelter during a high wind event. A Safe Room can be constructed in one of several places in a home to include a basement, on a concrete slab-on-grade foundation or garage floor, or in an interior room on the first floor. Shelters built below ground level provide the greatest protection except in flood prone areas; but a shelter built in a first-floor interior room can also provide necessary protection.

A free booklet containing construction plans -- Taking Shelter From the Storm: Building A Safe Room Inside Your House -- (FEMA publication 320) is available to homeowners and builders by calling 1-888-565-3896. The text is also available on the FEMA website, www.fema.gov.

Additional information about shelters or safe rooms can be found on the following websites: National Storm Shelter Association www.nssa.cc The Tornado Project www.tornadoproject.com Texas Tech Wind Science and Engineering Research Center www.windttu.edu

SAFE ROOM TOUR KICKOFF

Wed. June 23 10 a.m. to Noon
Disaster Field Office in Lincoln
3901 N. 27th Street

Other times and locations:
Thurs., June 24 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Crossroads Mall
7400 Dodge Street
Omaha

Fri., June 25
Imperial Mall    10-Noon
3001 W. 12th Street
Hastings 		      Grand Island Mall    2-4 p.m.
3404 W. 13th Street
Grand Island

Sat. June 26    11a.m. to 3p.m
Wal-Mart
3620 North 6th Street
Beatrice

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Last Modified: Friday, 18-May-2007 08:37:34