The Advantages of an Underground Tornado Shelter

Maximum Safety & Protection

• Since underground tornado shelters are beneath a tornado's ground surface path, they suffer less direct impact from its winds, thus offering the most substantial protection from them. Above ground, in addition to the funnel itself, you are also vulnerable to dangerous debris flying at the same speed. Furthermore, above-ground tornado shelters are only as sturdy as the materials used to construct them, whereas underground shelters benefit from the additional reinforcement of the ground itself, rendering them less likely to collapse -- even if a tree topples onto a house, rips a roof from overhead or tears a building from its foundation.

Immediacy

• An underground shelter with an indoor entry built into a place you spend the majority of your hours, such as at home or your office, lessens or eliminates the necessity of exposing yourself to the storm's dangers while relocating to safety. Some high-risk locations have centrally located community shelters, but getting to them during a rapidly traveling windstorm can be impractical. Especially in the case of homes and buildings containing elderly, disabled or otherwise infirm individuals, time, ease of transportation and ease of entry are of the essence.

Affordability

• While it is essential that underground tornado shelters be expertly installed to avoid risk of floating, freezing or other mishaps relating to underground construction, installation of underground shelters is typically less expensive than for above-ground shelters offering comparable protection. Since shelters built above ground remain more directly in the path of potential winds, they must be built with that in mind, using stronger, more durable -- and thus more expensive -- materials than would be required to build an equally, if not more, secure underground shelter.

Functionality

• Within people's homes, above-ground areas such as garages, bathrooms or spare bedrooms intended for safety during tornadoes are rarely intended exclusively for that purpose, and are thus not composed of functionally specific building materials. Even if they are, their ease of accessibility presents temptation to use them for some other functional purpose on the days when weather is of no concern. As a result, such spaces can easily be filled with with extraneous items that diminish their effectiveness as a safe shield against storms. Shelters specifically intended for protection, positioned underneath areas that are accessed every day, are more likely to be spared for their exclusive use and kept organized with emergency supplies only. Additionally, underground tornado shelters -- which do not lend themselves to aesthetically pleasing construction -- occupy less of a building's visible functional space.