Building a safe room for tornado protection

In recent months there has been a series of pretty
costly tornadoes in Alabama, driving home the necessity of having Alabama insurance home and / or business coverage for financial
protection. The Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) states that there
are approximately 1,000 tornadoes yearly in the U.S., resulting in over
$1billion in damages and eight deaths a year, on average.

Tornadoes are
classified on a scale of 0 to 5 based on the wind’s capacity for damage rather
than its speed. To stay safe during stronger tornadoes (F2 or higher)
retreating to a purpose-built storm shelter or “safe room” is recommended.

FEMA states
that sheltering in a safe room can provide near absolute protection from
extreme winds in that it could allow people to avoid injury or death. Safe
rooms can be located in garages, inside a building’s interior (away from
windows) or in basements.

FEMA is now
using the term “safe room” instead of “shelter” in order to avoid confusion
with community shelters for the general public.

Information on
constructing safe rooms according to FEMA’s instructions can be found here. In addition, you can find out more about taking steps to prevent
tornado damage at the IBHS. For information regarding Alabama
insurance policies for home or
business owners, call or email our team of agents.

*