How above-ground tornado shelters can be safe | Joseph Dannemiller | TEDxTexasTechUniversity
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- čas přidán 18. 02. 2014
- Popular opinion in many parts of the country is that when a tornado is bearing down on a community, the only safe place to take shelter is below ground. Joseph has found that this flies in the face of 15 years of research done at Texas Tech University's National Wind Institute investigating the safety of above-ground storm shelters. He discusses findings from the Moore, OK, tragedy as well as several additional benefits of above-ground shelters. In addition, he shows video of TTU's Debris Impact Facility firing 15-pound, 2" by 4" wood beams at 100 mph to show what tornadic debris can do to a normal home and how a storm shelter keeps occupants safe.
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So, we have an above ground approved shelter...installed in our basement! Best of both worlds!
Doesn't that defeat the whole benefit of above ground? What if your house collapses on your basement and starts flooding and you're trapped?
@@glowvid the house cannot flood simply because the basement is built into the crest of a small ridge and is exposed on the south side of the hill. The installer did point out one thing tho, when he said, if you look out the peephole in the door and see sunshine, you will know your hose is gone! LOL. I would never consider one of those in the floor of your garage or carport tornado shelters, or one outside that I have to go out in the weather to get into!
@@glowvid houses do not collapse in a tornado, they explode from the pressure differential!
@@mikehoward8201 yeah makes sense, we're on clay and high water tables especially around tornado season, basements are rare around here. I'm leaning towards above ground next to house vs within it. I guess if I tools so I can break out of blocked door and chainsaw, etc maybe saferoom inside could work out
After I watched a video explaining how many people actually drown in underground shelters I RAN out and purchased an above the ground shelter. I don't understand how people don't buy them. I live in what is called tornado alley but thankfully I never was in a tornado. Tonight might be my first they are predicting some to come through my town. I am not terrified like would be if I had no protection, of course I am extremely concerned. But I am almost positive I will not be killed I got a small one for me and my animals and a few friends that might be close. I am one of maybe three families that have them here I truly pray one does not destroy my area because will no longer have many neighbors left. But I will live to see tomorrow.
I'm with you. I'm moving to Madison Alabama in a few months, and as soon as I settle in, the first purchase I'm going to make is an above ground shelter. That area has only had a few significant tornadoes in decades, but they've been EF4-5...... I'm not playing around with that when another one inevitably comes through. Well worth the reassurance even if it never serves it's purpose
that guy is on his game
I bought an above ground Storm Shelter from Patriot Safe Rooms. One of the best purchases I have made. I use it as a safe for my valuable belongings, and can have peace of mind anytime a tornado is reported in my area in North Texas.
Very nice, but why not make the shelter round with a dome roof to withstand higher winds. In the high wind areas of Mongolia, locals would never male a square yurt. It would just get blown away. The same for our plains Indian teepees, Round is more wind proof.
+jon wilcox New Day Tornado Shelter is round with a dome on top.
Good job, dad.
I don't get it?
I DIDN'T KNOW THEY INVENTED A NEW GAME CALLED TELLING BIG ONES...WHOPPERS IS A MENU ITEM AT BURGER KING, NOT A GAME. LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY SIR. I BID YOU ADUE!
Hi mark
hello brother
Thanks son
Great video and very interesting! Wished it was longer!:)
Why longer? It hit the points
I have a Family Safe Torando Shelter and love it, its EF5 rated in the garage
Love my above ground fr B&HSTORMSHELTERS
Brandon was so helpful throughout the process.
We've done this many many times and hours at the time. I'm in the deep South about 98 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. 04/12/20 was HORRIBLE outbreak!
I agree.
Since natural disasters will be more frequent for the upcoming days, Client and designers should prioritize safety over styles
We had a well house it was a 10 x 10 concrete structure that had three foot thick concrete walls and a 2 ft concrete ceiling in the summertime it was cold in there like a cave they would pump well water into the building and then put the aluminum milk to keep them a cold before electricity/ Refrigeration was in rural Missouri in the late 30s early 40s in tje 1980s it was still there amd was used as a storm shelter in the 90s it was removed with explosives and even that gave it a hard time
Planning on doing a doubled up cinder block shelter in my garage. Two rows of cinder blocks, both laid on top of 1/4 inch steel plate that is anchored into the concreate foundation, lay rebar in blocks and pour concreate all the way through blocks, steel doorframe anchored into foundation with steel door that has a 1/2inch steel bolt going into said door frame. Should be good, people over estimate what they need, which is what this video is basically about. EF-3 came through my neighborhood, it was almost a EF-4 hit well constructed brick houses, and didn't get close to taking the center room in them out. Even if it's a EF-5, if it's inside your existing house, and far exceeds regular building code, you have increased your chance of survival a huge amount.
Above or below ground shelters are expensive. I wish they allowed payment plans or could be included in a mortgage. Totally worth it, but few have $5k-$20k laying around.
Yeah and this another problem! They’re outrageous!
Survive a storm shelters do have a payment plan I believe.
New Day Tornado Shelters will work with you on cost.
Tinker credit union has tornado shelter specific lending. Cheap interest rates from what I hear. Then you can get any brand you want.
Newday tornado shelters - $3900 installed.
I’m going with an above ground certified concrete shelter (5x8). I’m not getting any younger and know it will become increasingly more difficult to enter/exit a below ground. Also, my property is flat and level and holds quite a bit of water half the year. The below ground shelters open outwards, allowing you to be trapped (at least temporarily) under storm debris.
Well eathleast you will be alive and with a shter your talking about what if the concrete breaks your shelter will flip
Interesting
I recently purchased an above ground saferoom. They are proven to be very safe when made to FEMA P320 specs. When you're house is gone that saferoom will be standing and so will your family.
which company did you use?
+Nick Wing My family purchased a New Day Tornado Shelter. You can find it here on you tube. Cost at that time was $3800.00. It passed all the tests required to be certified by the National Storm Center to withstand an EF5.
*your. "You're" means "you are".
@@CTimmerman- Do you feel enter about yourself now?
The only thing I can find is what this man has shown.... wood flying at the above ground shelter at 250 mph like an EF5 tornado. The thing is, there are cars and other houses picked up that can be thrown on top of these above ground shelters or hit them. I'm pretty sure the shelter cannot withstand cars or a semi. There have been houses rotated on their slabs, destroyed, and even slabs destroyed afterwards, so I worry about the above ground shelters on a thick slab even. I would say, it's better than lying in your bathtub or a closet though.
Oklahoman here. These above ground shelters are perfectly safe. We've seen it time and again. Now, if you're being bombed by an air force, that's different. But weather? These are great.
So do you own an above ground shelter? If so, which brand did you go with? Was it steel or cement? I'm considering getting one, but where I live, we can't have in ground ones.
Ever heard of survivorship bias? I would look at records for the number of people who had an above-ground shelter that didn't make it. The impact tests were also done at "100+ mph", and without wind. I'd be curious what these same above-ground shelters would look like in a debris-filled wind tunnel at 200 or even 300 mph (the latter is an absolute worst-case scenario)
Was the age and quality of construction taken into account regarding those deaths? When buying an above ground shelter, it is important to research the product before buying it.
The only examples I am aware of (non expert) of above ground failures have been of shelters that don't meet the current FEMA specs -- and usually a result of a door failure.
You are right however that this is a hard subject to "field test" due to how rare tornados hitting any one area are, and then how variable the wind conditions can be even in a direct hit. (One house on the block may experience 200+ mph winds while the other experiences much lower)
With that said your second idea is a bit misguided. These impact tests are done based on the idea of 250 mph winds THROWING debri. For example, just because the winds are 200-300 mph, doesn't mean all the flying debri will be those speeds, if even close. The wind gusts throw items but they have their own mass and wind resistance, so they will usually be slower then the wind speeds themselves.
@@hf9356 Yes, and you need to be careful about what you read on message forums, etc. A couple of years ago, someone on a CZcams video posted a comment claiming that an above ground, FEMA tested safe room had been blown off the concrete foundation and into a river during a tornado in MIssissippi in 2011. The occupants drowned. We have one of these safe rooms in our basement and I was so concerned by this persons comment that I sent an email to the EMA office in Jackson, MS. The director there wrote back and said no such incident ever occurred. (I’ve long since deleted the emails but if I run across the article/video again, I’ll come back and edit this post.) As you stated, the only failure I’ve seen recorded thus far is on a safe room where the door caved in, killing the occupant. But this safe room door had not been built to the correct specifications or been tested.
@@beaedens285 Exactly. I don't quite understand the prejudice often displayed against above ground storm shelters. Sometimes they are the best/only option. Some live in areas that aren't compatiable with below ground storm shelters due to frequent flooding or other issues and some people can not or will not take shelter below ground due to a physical handicap or severe claustrophobia. I've seen what happens when someone in such situations is constantly told they will not survive above ground, they give up and figure if that day comes they will let nature take it's course. These are people whose lives could be saved if they invested in an above ground shelter. Misinformation is one thing but in this instance it can cost people their lives!
I'm watching this at the end of 2021 after browsing a website to purchase a tornado shelter. The seller has a quote on the website that says: Although an above ground steel safe room is not as safe in a tornado as an in-ground Tornado Shelter, it is better to have some protection then to have none at all. Made me have 2nd thoughts since that is coming from someone trying to sell them. Another local dealer said they aren't even selling them now because there is a shortage due to covid. I am also just hearing about the reimbursement program and the website for that has little info on how to actually go about it.
Maybe they are saying that on the website because they are unsure and want to cover themselves just incase someone is hurt in one....who knows. I did just order one myself and even though they anchor into the concrete I will be reinforcing the way it is anchored just to be safe. I have no doubt the building itself with 1/4" plate steel is strong enough but I dont trust the way they anchor them.
Research, research, research! Not all storm shelters, above or below ground, are created equal. I have seen articles where below ground shelters were failing and popping up out of the ground. It is very important to research the shelter you are looking at purchasing as well as the company itself, no matter if you go with an in ground or above ground shelter. Look to see if they are constructed to FEMA standards and tested by the Texas Tech National Wind Institute. As mentioned above even if the shelters themselves are tested research how they are anchored when onsite. If possible read reviews from others that have used that company. Look to see if their shelters have actually been struck by a tornado and what the results were. This is no small purchase and it's purpose is to protect your life, so do whatever research is needed to feel comfortable with the decision you make.
@6:43 where can I find more about this particular above ground shelter?
I can't get over the fear of having an above ground shelter ripped off the slab by strong tornados. I'm going with an under the garage floor shelter.
what happens when your in ground gets ripped out, fills with water, or get covered by a vehicle or debris?
Any shelter above or below is not 100% safe but its better than a closet covered with mattresses. Plus most tornados are F2 and below. In that case these shelters probably would be 100%
What I’m wondering is if a high end slab scouring tornado can pick up a train engine what keeps an above ground shelter from getting swept up and carried away? Maybe I’m getting carried away with a hypothetical. This video is even more relevant in the wake of the 12/10/21 multi state EF-5.
Mine has nine 1/2" Hilti bolts driven 3" into the concrete floor.
@@mmabagain Those will hold against anything!
@@mmabagainwhat happens when the concrete gets ripped up?
How are they anchored thats what worries me
Full size pick up truck and yeeted so hard against an above ground shelter so hard it wrapped around it. Hardly left a dent. Found this on you tube
I watched that video. Safe Sheds was the company. You should see the pics!
So you made it wood proof...what about flying tractor/semi truck proof? And what if it yeets your room off the foundation like the rest of the house?
They are bolted to concrete
Check out tests from manufacturers like Valley Storm, where they literally drop cars on them
2x4's and debris from houses are fine..how about a car, or semi truck, or a train car. Have those been tested? Tornadoes are not particular about what they decide to throw at you.
Most are killed by small objects. What they don’t tell you is people killed in tornadoes are not whole bodies! They are shredded pieces that DNA is need to ID them. It’s like being sandblasted by 2x4s that are small broken pieces. Then the spinning twists the body and objects. If it’s a large tornado you are slammed to the ground from 100-200 feet up going 100 -200 mph! Not pretty.
Oh that's so gruesome, but I believe. Mother Nature is ruthless.
Yes they have been.
I think it takes into account he just showed you pics & he said they've studied it for 40 years. I'm sure it ran through there minds.
they do drop cars and whatnot on them
How would above-ground safe room stand up to a Jarrell tornado?
Many above ground concrete safe rooms disappeared in the Jarrell Tornado from what I understand. It would depend on many different factors such as weather a direct hit, concrete/steel rebar or other materials such as primarily steel used, etc...
In the case of an above ground safe room made of concrete/steel rebar, total overall wall thickness and frame/door quality would absolutely come into play.
I believe it was the Moore, OK EF-5 tornado where Bank employees hid in the banks vault, and that was literally all that was left standing. They opened the vault door and walked out shaken but fine. Granted this was a seriously built, hardened bank vault, but it shows above ground can/will work fine if built properly.
Even so, one is never going to be 100% safe weather below or above ground in a shelter during a huge violent tornado. There will always be some risk. Such as the deadly slow moving Jarrell tornado.
@@Dan-zn7np Thanks
@@A_Muzik Sure. I know I thank God where I live currently we don't get tornadoes like that. I hope you don't neither! I hate bad regular storms, let alone having to deal with that threat looming over you! Scary! I know if I lived in a Zone 4 area I believe it is called I would without a doubt have a FEMA approved tornado shelter.
No the Steel ones don't get picked up. They are bolted with 5/8 inch to withstand 10.000 lbs. Allot of them. To my knowledge only one life has been lost because a normal steel thin residential door was used. They are safe. Withstood E5 in Moore OK.
@@Dan-zn7npthere were no above ground safe rooms in jarrell in 1997. I bet money there arent any even today. Its very rare our area gets tornados. Any storm shelter at all is rare. You are either blatantly lying or dont know what you are talking about. There were 38 homes, several trailers and 3 businesses destroyed by the tornado. None of them had above or below ground shelters. You can read the nws reportings on the event. They are very throuough.
The statement he made about 8 people dying in the El Reno tornado because they were stuck in traffic is a flat out lie. 3 storm chasers from the Twistex team died because they got too close to the tornado, another amateur chaser also died due to getting too close, 2 other people died due to drowning after taking refuge in a culvert that flooded. The other two I’m not sure about. Bottom line: 8 people did NOT die due to being stuck in traffic.
That statement really upset me because of the false info he was giving. There were many things he said that didn't make sense or agree with
Thanks for sharing that. I know people in El Reno that survived those storms in 11 and 13. They (and I as well) also heard that a bunch of amateur chasers clogged the road and blocked everyone from getting away.
I didn't like that statement either because it was misleading. I have done my research about above ground storm shelters and I agree with him there that there is undue prejudicial statements often made against them. They can be a great option for those that can't have a below ground shelter or won't go in one and if constructed correctly are built to withstand a EF5 tornado. I also agree with his premise that the El Reno tornado with it's multiple changes in direction and size as well as traffic gridlocked roads was an example of all that can go wrong if someone attempts to flee in their car from an approaching tornado rather than safely shelter in place. However that could have been explained properly without making misleading statements. Once someone makes such statements it can bring a negative light to the rest of their information even if that information is correct.
Let's be clear tho... if you don't have an above ground shelter... you MUST be underground for EF3+
Why aren't homes in Tornado Alley and Dixie Alley required to have 250 mph wind-resistant safe rooms? While there is no 100% guarantee, overall it will serve to decrease the death toll. Especially in the event of Super Outbreak 2048, or by meteorologist James Spann's calculation, 2051.
@I Am The One Who Knocks There will always be that one that is outraged by simple physics, but fails to understand simple economics at the same time.
AJ, because people get to choose here. YOU can have any type house you can afford
it is not practical, its not like living in an area effected by hurricanes where a home will see multiple hurricanes in its lifetime, most homes in tornado alley will see zero.
It wouldn’t matter, most of the people that get killed are in vehicles, most of the time these tornados hit when most people are coming home from work. I know, I live down the road from Moore, OK.
I want a shelter so much. I am 70 years old and they are cost prohibitive for me. I am not eligible for the tax credit. My house is not safe. I have a 3 ft. crawl space under my house so no safe place options.
Just wish you had a suit that fits.
You still came though
They never show the top getting hit with say a semi without trailer falling on it,will it get smashed flat or not,semi tractor can be as much as 20 plus % of a 80,000 lb truck and trailer
Valley Storm Shelters. They throw 2 ton worth of bticks, 2 tons worth of wood, drive a car, shoot it, and throw a car from 70 feet at it.
They also show some great anchoring system that has columns underground, definitely my choice.
a semi will not hold its entire load, especially if its a regular box truck carrying normal cargo, the second the sides of the truck get destroyed the heaviest thing youd have to worry about is the truck itself, but it wouldn't matter above or below ground, because a below ground shelter will also have a portion of the shelter sticking up, where a truck could just as easily hit that.
@@CKCrippledKnight no they didn’t, they dropped bricks from like 20 foot up and they didn’t drop the entire load, they Brad the bottom fall out so that the bricks didn’t hit it all at once, they they dropped a load of wood on top and then a stripped down car. Mind you none of those objects were moving very fast. They also showed that same car crashing into the shelter at “40mph” while realistically it was around 20-25mph. Trust me, I live down the road from Moore, OK. I’ve seen first hand what an F5 can do to an above ground shelter. I’ve seen a granite headstone laying inside a foot thick high psi concrete and steel rebar reinforced above ground shelter, if anyone would of been inside they would of been killed.
@@whitelight1720 yeah these are steel, for starters
The concrete were you put that shelter can break then what will hold the shelter . ??
Kinda because two-by-fours are not the only threat. If you want an above-ground shelter that is low cost and guaranteed survival then it needs to be a true pyramid just a really small one. All sides the same size. That way you could take wind flow from all directions deflect debris in all directions plus handle a car being dropped on it. Concrete with mesh will do the job. The stronger the wind the harder it will push the pyramids towards the ground. A dome would work but you got broadsides not great for deflection. How much did you spend trying to figure this out I did it in 15 minutes watching a storm video. Technically a pyramid could handle The Winds of a nuclear blast on the outside layer non direct hit. That's why they built the Great Pyramids it's the strongest structure possible
I am a weather anchor at a news station. Obviously you can survive a tornado using shelter that is above ground. During severe weather I always say if you don't have the ability to shelter downstairs, then move to interior room that gives you as much space between you and the outside and cover yourself with something. Being underground gives you a better chance of surviving a tornado, but not everyone is able to do that. To my knowledge no one is really saying that you can't survive above ground during a tornado. It's just better to be underground because that increases the likelihood of you surviving.
Can these above ground shelters be picked up by a tornado?
No
No, they are extremely heavy.
some can if not anchored properly
@@patrickeh696 they are anchored in the ground, a couple thousand pound steel box is just the same as a large vehicle and those get tossed around plenty in a tornado.
Vehicles and other stuff that get picked up by tornados arent anchored to the ground and wind can blow under them and pick them up...Being anchored to the ground properly with concrete and not having air go under them is what keeps above ground shelters from getting picked up by a tornado. Some above ground style shelters like the continuous poor concrete ones are set in the ground a foot or 2 to anchor them.
Would I take an above ground over nothing else…absolutely. Above ground might be fine for out in the country but in a residential setting, absolutely not. I lived through an F4…whole house gone. In a typical neighborhood, a large tornado will be a torrent of not just wind but pick up everything…large objects, cars, trees, pieces of house, all with unbelievable kinetic energy and will destroy anything in its path. The house across from me was foam/concrete block construction designed to withstand F4 and yep…it was gone. We had a boat, and 2 cars end up in our yard from 1/2 mile away. Imagine a car hurtling at an above ground shelter at 100+ mph….ya…it’s taking it out.
They do these tests with 1 or 2 things projected at it and say it’s a valid test. But let’s see how they stand up for 1 min of thousands of heavy objects pelting it at 100+ mph….a car, then a fridge, then a few thousand lb tree trunk. Sorry but for true safety, correctly designed underground is superior.
We need to build our homes from rebar reinforced 5" thick concrete walls with a rebar reinforced 5" thick concrete dome. The house needs to be round. Round with a dome...just like water towers. Take note how many water towers survive tornadic winds. Most all of them. The round walls gives the tornado very little to push against and round walls that most objects ricochet off. No, we build our home from weak boards and flat walls giving the tornadic winds something to push against with pitched roofs that can be easily lifted off with tornadic winds. When will we learn that regular homes are not meant to withstand tornadic winds? Are you willing to trade beauty for safety?
Better Garagestormshelter for double use.Safes also money for a new car.😉
That’s great and all but once you’ve went through the rubble of an F5 in both El Reno and Moore, OK. and you come up on a standing above ground shelter and think wow that thing was made really well. But then you walk around the back side and see a giant hole in a foot thick high psi concrete and steel rebar reinforced tornado shelter. Then you look inside and see a granite headstone inside and realize that if anyone had been inside they would of died. It’s not that the wind is blowing, it’s what the wind is blowing.
There are no 100% guarantees in life. With a storm that powerful, the people would probably have also died from their house collapsing on them, their underground shelter flooding, or being hit by a car in the wind. Storm shelters will not reduce 100% of risk, just as nothing else in life will. They do, however, save thousands of lives each year.
From the research I have done there was no failure of any above ground shelter in Moore, OK that was made to FEMA guidelines and tested by the National Wind Institute at Texas Tech. Instead I have found multiple news articles from OK that mention how well above ground shelters worked to protect people during those tornados. Storm shelters both above and below ground are not created equally. In fact while doing my research I came across below ground shelters that were failing and popping out of the ground, turns out those were not tested either. There are above ground shelters built before FEMA guidelines as well as home owners that attempt to build their own, failure of one of those doesn't mean that a properly constructed and tested above ground storm shelter would also fail. If you have proof of an above ground shelter built to FEMA guidelines and tested by Texas Tech that failed in Moore or El Reno please let me know as I am currently looking to purchase an above ground shelter.
this was not a ted talk it was a sales pitch
Did great dad
I can pour a storm shelter for less then $20,000 that would survive any winds or projectile driven by winds that is possible on this planet. I dont know why we dont pour 3 story houses all 10inch reinforced walls with hangers or angle iron at 9 foot intervals to the roof. We coild hang the floors right on top of that angle iron. Then you would always be safe just being inside your house. We lay down corragated steel on top of wrap around porches all the time. Then we put a steel door into the porch wall for a built in safe room. Any concrete company should be able to build a storm shelter that would hold 10 people comfortably in a few days. Just call and ask but its easy to do. I'm the Forman for a concrete company in culpeper va and we could do 3 a day if someone wanted it. Its not a new concept and its being done daily all over the world where needed.
I could spray one for a couple thousand MAX that is rated for EF-5s. What's your point? IN FACT, one like I'm talking about was the ONLY structure in the direct path of the Moore tornado that not only survived but was completely undamaged.
Also, homes are currently built with 4 inch sprayed walls that are rated at 500+ mph and cost about the same as stick houses
@@patrickeh696 huh that's funny? Since code forbids the green plate to bear on less then 6 inches of foundation. Well at least inside the U.S. Code also forbids 4" walls with any unequal fill. I guess u can build what I want but I would build it right or not at all. You use the term spray wall? U must work for a swimming pool company?
Underground. Period.
Only took 8 1/2 minutes to get to his point
Resource based economy. People. We have the technology. We have the resources. The problem is lack of access. Lack of access is caused by lack of money. The poor are not expendable. Remove money and EVERYONE will have access to these shelters. Research and development for safer practices will not be choked by lack of access (funding). Money is killing us all.
Dear Politicians in Dixie Alley (Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Carolinas):
it is time to legislate laws requiring houses be built with above ground tornado shelters, and mobile homes to have a designated above ground tornado shelter. It is time out for leaving that choice to those with money as significant tornadoes do not just select the people with money to strike. And resorting to the optimistic bias of "it won't happen to us" is foolish. The inhabitants of Putnam County, Tennessee on 03/02/2020 did not think that in the early morning hours they would be ripped from their toilets and receive impromptu flying lessons. Over a dozen of the inhabitants died in that monstrous EF4. If you need more reasons for this requirement here goes.
Hampton, South Carolina: 65 injuries; 5 fatalities
Bassfield to Pachuta, Mississippi: 95 injuries; 8 fatalities
Sartinville to Bassfield, Mississippi: 3 injuries; 4 fatalities
Beauregard, Alabama: 97 injuries; 23 fatalities
April 27, 2011
Reminds me of the experts and engineers who thought the Titanic could not sink.
Literally said nothing
Stop using wood, steel and stones to build houses. We have so many hard rubber and synthetics.
A FEMA above ground shelter is certified to withstand winds of 250mph. Okay, but what about the 318mph winds in the 05/03/1999 tornado that hit Newcastle, Bridge Creek, Moore, and Del City in Oklahoma? There are many more stories of above ground shelter failures than underground. I believe they can* be just as safe, but there isn’t enough regulation to insure that. They need to withstand 400mph winds for absolute security and be built under enforced regulations. Underground shelters can fail as well; such as insufficient anchoring. By the way, not everyone that sought safety in an above ground shelter survived in Moore. That is a false claim. There was a grandmother and her grandson in an above ground shelter. It’s door was ripped open and then both occupants perished. So how can that have been prevented? Which ones are safe and which ones are not? The installation methods are just as important as the design of the shelter.
There is a video on here that shows an above ground shelter by valley storm using a jet engine blasting it with 700mph wind and it didnt budge it. Also driving a 4500lb at 50mph + vehicle into the side and same outcome
He just tries to sale for that money or he cares about their lives 🤔
Above ground tornado shelters can be safe..............in Antarctica, underground, or in orbit around the earth.
So, this is just a sales pitch...
Nope.