FEMA Focused on Life Safety Protection through the Support of High-Wind Safe Rooms

FEMA and the Building Science Branch are focused on life safety protection through their long term investment in high-wind safe room guidance. This investment aligns with their strategic goal to support disaster resilience and the ability of our local communities to withstand and recover rapidly from disasters. FEMA and the Branch are committed to creating a disaster resilient America by being actively engaged in everything from code changes to furnishing communities nationwide with guidance and support to build safe rooms properly.

 Safe rooms are hardened structures specifically designed to meet FEMA criteria and provide "near-absolute” life-safety protection in extreme weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes. Near-absolute protection means that, based on our current knowledge of tornadoes and hurricanes, the occupants of a safe room built in accordance with FEMA guidance will have a very high probability of being protected from injury or death.

As of January 2014, FEMA grant programs have provided approximately $928 million in federal funds towards the design and construction of nearly 25,000 residential and 2,300 community safe rooms in 25 states and territories.

The FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) has also deployed on a number of tornado events, including one in 1999 (Midwest Tornadoes of May 3, 1999) to the 2011 Tornado Outbreak and Moore, OK. These deployments and resulting reports have not only supported FEMA’s work in safe room design and construction guidance, but have also resulted in numerous Recovery Advisories, including the most recent 2011 Tornado MAT Recovery Advisories.

Another recent MAT success story was a successful building code change in the 2015 Edition of the International Building Code (IBC), requiring storm shelters in high-wind regions for schools and first responder facilities. The new code requirements include:

• In areas where the shelter design wind speed for tornadoes is 250 mph (see dark blue shaded area in map), all new kindergarten through 12th grade schools with 50 or more occupants in total, per school, shall have an ICC 500-compliant storm shelter.
• In areas where the shelter design wind speed for tornadoes is 250 mph (see dark blue shaded area in map), all new 911 call stations, emergency operation centers, and fire, rescue, ambulance, and police stations shall have an ICC 500-compliant storm shelter. 

Turning research into practice, the FEMA Building Science Branch has also developed publications to help homeowners, small business owners, and communities assess their risk and determine the best type of safe room for their needs. To be considered a FEMA safe room, the structure must be designed and constructed based on the guidelines specified in FEMA P-361, Design and Construction Guidance for Community Safe Rooms (FEMA, second edition, 2008b), which provides the criteria for both residential and community safe rooms, for both tornadoes and hurricanes. Additionally, FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business (FEMA, third edition, 2008a) provides a less technical discussion of safe rooms and the decision-making process for homeowners. FEMA P-320 also includes design drawings for site-built safe rooms.

The development of these publications, beginning in 1998, has also given rise to an entire industry of safe room manufacturers and provided a platform for the development and release of ICC 500, Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters, in 2008. ICC 500 is referenced by multiple editions of the International Residential Code (IRC) and International Building Code (IBC) (2009, 2012, and soon to be 2015 editions of IRC and IBC that reference ICC 500), and maintains much of the same criteria as FEMA P-361.

For safe room funding and project eligibility and financial assistance questions, residents and business owners should contact their State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO). SHMO’s can advise on what information must be provided for a project to be considered for funding, as well as any applicable federal, state, and local design requirements. SHMO’s will also be able to provide information on funding sources. Two FEMA funding options are:

• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Funds
• Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program Funds

Mitigation is the most effective way to lessen the impacts of disasters. In fact, according to the study by the Multi-hazard Mitigation Council, each dollar spent on mitigation saves society an average of four dollars. Effective mitigation requires that we all understand our risk, act proactively, invest in our long-term well-being, and build disaster-resilient communities. All property, business owners, and communities are urged to take the appropriate steps to ensure building safety and mitigate their risks.

For more information on mitigation, please visit http://www.fema.gov/safer-stronger-protected-homes-communities. For more information on FEMA’s Building Science Branch mitigation guidance, visit http://www.fema.gov/building-science.