If you don’t have a storm shelter and live in a storm prone area, a tornado might not be the only thing you have to worry about. Storm season could pack a double-punch this year for those who do not have a custom tornado shelter. The CDC urges those who seek cover at a community tornado shelter to be on the lookout for COVID-19 symptoms. Since many people aren’t thinking about social distancing while they’re running for cover, community shelters could be prime breeding grounds for the virus. Due to community shelters’ cramped conditions, it’s nearly impossible to exercise safe and sanitary etiquette. Because these shelters are designed for short-term stays, these shelters are inherently small. Many of these shelters are not equipped with mechanical ventilation either, so COVID-19 droplets could stay suspended in the air for several minutes or even an hour, extending the window of possible exposure. As you huddle with your neighbors in the harrowing moments of a tornado battering down on your community’s shelter, you could expose yourself to a threat that has already claimed more lives than the past 50 storm seasons combined.
Panelized bolt-together tornado kits can provide refuge when crowded community shelters are too close for comfort
After riding out last week’s killer tornado at their community’s tornado shelters, many residents of Birmingham, Ala. faced a new horror. In the haste of seeking cover, many residents forgot their face masks. As a result, dozens of people were potentially exposed to COVID-19. As if these residents didn’t have enough to worry about, they must now contend with disaster conditions exacerbated by this insidious disease. Despite the highly contagious nature of the virus, the CDC is encouraging those in harm’s way to still seek out a community shelter if they have nowhere else to go. But what if there’s another solution? What if you could seek individualized protection without exposing yourself to the dread coronavirus? U.S. Safe Room offers a line of affordable panelized bolt-together kits that can be retrofitted and discretely installed into an existing room or closet space within your home. Custom tornado shelters are easy to install and do not affect the structural integrity of existing walls and flooring. Instead of seeking a community shelter every time the tornado siren goes off – possibly exposing yourself to the virus- you can simply retreat into your home’s safe room, further mitigating other potential threats.
Modular Safe Room Features and Benefits
- Customized steel panels can retrofit any room
- Panels come in single units and are lightweight
- Installed by a professional or by you
- Protection against burglary
- Protection against natural disasters
- Protection for your valuables
- Discreet and easy to install
- Save the lives of loved ones, employees, and coworkers
- Peace of mind
Designed, engineered, and manufactured to FEMA 320, FEMA 361, and ICC 500 Standards. Our storm shelters were tested and certified by Texas Tech National Wind Institute in strict accordance to FEMA 320 (2014), FEMA 361 (2015), and ICC-500 (2014) standards for wind rated impact of 250 mph ground speed tornado events.
