Prefab Tornado shelters - fear of the door.....

[Wise Old Owl]

I have to say it, I look at the shelters that are made here in the USA and I think there is an underlying problem with the shelter door. Ok before you point out I am in PA and don't know what I am talking about....Here goes.

I have been in a car that was lifted off the PA turnpike in a tornado. I lived for four years in Chicago and a tornado bouced over the house and took out the neighbors. I survived straight line winds in a tent. I survived two hurricanes in a tent.

Now back to the question.... I think the door to prefabbed shelters should have 3 or 4 upright steel I beams to avoid large debris for pinning down the door. Why is it missing? Futhermore fiberglass absorbs water over time - why isn't it tarred?
http://texasstormshelters.com/data/storage/attachments/5eaaa9a2b5077c127a017de4cb2b6e36.jpg

[crashdive123]

I'd have to know more about the shelter than just that pic to tell the pros and cons. Hopefully the door either slide (on the inside) or opens in.

[Winnie]

Sounds like a modern Air Raid Shelter or Anderson Shelter. The clever folk would bury theirs and make acces via a slit trench. Surely that would help and also protect the door from being blocked.

[hunter63]

I have actually looked at some of the shelters offered, and it seem that they are really over priced, or depend on being buried to be effective.
At this point I see some of y'all thinking, "Well...Duh, of course it will be buried".
So now I;ll expand it a bit by adding I was looking for one to be placed in Louisiana, at the DD/SIL's place.

Seems it really hard to "bury" anything, including people as the water table and such causes stuff to just kinda "pop up".

My quest continues............................

[JPGreco]

You would need a solid steel or concrete box that can sit on top of the ground and bury large footings. That would anchor it in place and hopefully be able to resist the winds.

[Old GI]

Be very careful burying your shelter. When I was a county EM Director in FL, a business was selling fiberglass underground shelters. It's fine if you don't have a flood or a tree or other heavy debris doesn't block your exit. Always make sure someone knows you're there.

[BH51]

I've a number of brushes with twisters in my day, and seen them peel
pavement off'n highways...no matter what ya do for a shelter, I figure
a tractor/ hydrolic jack and an air-horn useful accessory..........BH51