Anyone who has lived in the Deep South or Tornado Alley for any time has probably spent a few nights in their bathroom. And no, we aren’t talking about intimate evenings with the porcelain throne following a night of heavy drinking. Although, we’ve all been there a time or two. But that’s a different storm and conversation entirely. While we all might rush to call dibs on the home’s most personal retreat first thing in the morning, the bathroom is also the go-to for many families whenever a tornado rolls through the community. Bathrooms can be the perfect improvised tornado shelter in a bind. Because most bathrooms don’t have windows, you don’t have to worry about shattering debris raining down on you while hunkered down in the tub. Emboldened by the plumbing and piping, the structural integrity of most bathrooms makes them the ideal safe room. Precursory surveys of most storm-battered areas reveal a shocking anomaly. The bathroom is often the only structure left standing after a tornado strikes. Despite the inherent formidability, bathrooms, and basements should always be a last resort in surviving a storm. Nothing beats the superior protection of reinforced steel afforded by a panelized safe room or underground bunker from U.S. Safe Room.
Safe Rooms and Panelized Shelters Will Always Offer Superior Protection to Bathrooms
Despite what newscasters might lead you to believe, tornado fatalities remain statistically low. Even the most violent tornadoes have a survival rate of 99%, and the nation averages only 80 tornado deaths annually. You have a far greater chance of being struck by lightning than perishing in a killer cyclone. Still, preparedness and vigilance is the ultimate safeguard against any threat, regardless of size or magnitude. Safe rooms and tornado shelters offer unparalleled protection against a litany of threats with virtually no casualties. How many people have you ever heard of dying in a storm shelter during a tornado? After thorough research, we only found one instance of someone dying in a tornado shelter, likely caused by an unsecured door. There’s no argument about storm shelters’ structural integrity and prudency – they save lives. Where else in society can you find such a use-specific safeguard against a wide range of threats? Like safe rooms, seatbelts and airbags save lives during collisions, but they do little to shield you from blunt force traumas at high speeds. Panelized safe rooms and aboveground shelters can protect your family from wind-driven projectiles flying at you at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour.
Easily Convert Any Existing Room or Office Into a Steel Panelized Safe Room
We understand the allure of forgoing the added costs of safe room installation in storm prone areas. Your home is your sanctuary. Why would you risk blemishing a well-manicured residence with an unsightly or obtuse storm shelter? Well that’s where most people are mistaken. You can easily retrofit any room or office into a panelized safe room without tearing down any walls or disturbing the foundation. With just a few simple hand tools and minimal building experience, you can have the best of both worlds by optimizing existing floor space with a panelized storm kit. Panelized safe room kits also cost a fraction of most standalone storm shelters and can even add value to your home following a reappraisal. If you ever decide to sell your home, you will immediately have an advantage over competition in your neighborhood by offering potential clients the added benefit of superior steel protection. You won’t have to worry about buyer’s remorse either. When have you ever regretted spending money to protect what matters most? Installing a safe room for the sake of your family should be evaluated under the same principle of having homeowner’s or life insurance. Sure, you might never need it, but you’ll be glad you had the benefit of foresight when disaster strikes.