A safe room is a hardened structure specifically designed to meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) criteria and provide "near-absolute protection" in extreme weather events, including tornadoes and hurricanes. Near-absolute protection means that, based on our current knowledge of tornadoes and hurricanes, the occupants of a safe room built in accordance with FEMA guidance will have a very high probability of being protected from injury or death. To be considered a FEMA safe room, the structure must be designed and constructed to the guidelines specified in FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business (FEMA, third edition, 2008a) (for home and small business safe rooms) and FEMA P-361, Design and Construction Guidance for Community Safe Rooms (FEMA, second edition, 2008b).
- Building a Safe Room in Your Home
- Residential Funding Opportunities and Initiatives
- Examples and Case Studies
Public and Community Safe Rooms
- Community Funding Opportunities and Initiatives
- Examples and Case Studies
- Map of the contiguous United States
- Annual cycles of severe weather probability
Additional Websites and Resources
- Texas Tech University Wind Engineering Research Center
- American Red Cross
- National Storm Shelter Association
- Storm Prediction Center
- U.S. Small Business Administration
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Tornadoes: Being Prepared
- The Tornado Project
- Before, During, and After a Tornado
- National Weather Service
- High Wind Safe Rooms
- Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)
- MAT Report – Spring 2011 Tornadoes: April 25-28 and May 22 (FEMA P-908)
- 2011 Tornado Recovery Advisories in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, and Missouri
- 2007 Tornado Recovery Advisories in Florida
- 2007 Tornado Recovery Advisories in Kansas
FEMA strongly encourages homeowners and communities to build safe rooms, but cannot endorse or approve specific manufacturers or producers. Disclaimer.
Questions on Saferooms
Click on the “Frequently Asked Questions” link to view FAQs. You can also call the Safe Room Help Line at 866-222-3580, or email Saferoom@fema.dhs.gov.