Hillside Storm Shelter Designs

The storm shelter is a necessity in many parts of the country. Creating the most effective design will be a matter of survival. Hillside storm shelters are a great way to take advantage of the natural contours of the earth in order to keep you safe from the storm as it blows through town. You will need extensive planning in order to build a storm shelter which will be big enough and will be strong enough to keep you safe from the storm.

Elements of a Good Storm Shelter

If you dig into the side of a hill, you already have two thirds of your storm shelter built to withstand the storm. In order make sure you have a good saferoom, you will need to reinforce these walls and use them as an anchor for the fourth wall which will also serve as your entrance. While classic designs call for steel construction, modern designs require fiberglass designs. This is because fiberglass can be just as tough as concrete and steel without the possibility of deterioration or rusting out.

Creating a door which is reinforced and at an angle of at the most forty-five degrees. Any slopes of a greater degree will be like being behind a regular door. The door should be able to close with reinforced bars that latch into the frame of the anchored walls. This will keep the storm from being able to pull  the door open as it blows past. Inside, you need to stock like a survival shelter.

You need to have several non-perishable goods as well as entertainment. In case there is an extended period where you  are stuck in the shelter, you will need a toilet of some sort as well as tissue. This all must be stocked in advance as there will be no chance to gather the supplies when the warning comes in.

Building Your Storm Shelter with Escape in Mind

Once the danger has passed, you will need to be able to get out of your storm shelter. No matter if you are on a hill or not, you stand a good chance of various items being blown in front of your door and trapping you inside. This is why it is a good idea to employ a hydraulic system on your door. This will help you to push the door open no matter what gets in the way. If you cannot include the hydraulic lift to the door, consider building the shelter like a tunnel with a separate entrance and exit from the one you entered. The other entrance to your storm shelter can have a door or not.

If the other entrance does not have a door, make sure you have a secure entry to the tunnel. Either way, you should keep a shovel and an ax in order to gain an exit from your shelter. The last thing you want is to escape the storm only for your shelter to become your tomb.