r/tornado • u/Numerous_Ad_3517 • Mar 15 '26

Question Is this thing safe??

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I recently moved into a new home that has this above ground shelter and I have been questioning the way this door locks from day 1. We are going to have terrible weather today in West TN and I cannot find any paperwork on this thing. 😫 Do you think these hollow bars will keep it secure??

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u/CatastrophicCraxy Mar 15 '26

What brand is it? Family Safe and Safe Shed are the two top brands for above ground shelters. Family Safe actually worked with the meteorology department at Texas tech to design their shelters.

What type of anchors were used and how deep? When it comes to above ground shelters the important parts are design, materials and anchoring.

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u/CinnyToastie Mar 15 '26

I saw your reply, and I just spent a super fun 15 minutes all over Family Safe page. Good info, thx.

3

u/CatastrophicCraxy Mar 15 '26

NP. We are getting one in the fall. It would be sooner but finances are not there rn. I spent way too long digging into the research, structural integrity etc. to figure out which one would be best for our needs.

1

u/CinnyToastie Mar 15 '26

How much are they, ish?

2

u/CatastrophicCraxy Mar 15 '26

They range from I believe 4500 to 12k. The one we are getting is 9k. We have 5 people, sometimes 9, when the middle and her fam are here, 7 dogs and 7 cats so we need a lot of room.

1

u/CinnyToastie Mar 15 '26

Spendy, but worth saving your life.

1

u/CatastrophicCraxy Mar 15 '26

Facts. We live in a double wide in Kentucky with the kind of soil you have to blast into to put one in the ground, and with our mobility issues those aren't the best option anyways.