Storm Shelters: Installing a Huntsville Tornado Lifesaver Storm Shelter
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- Опубліковано 15 сер 2011
- HuntsvilleTornadoShelters.com/...
Should you have a storm shelter to protect you from another dangerous Huntsville tornado? What's the difference between a Lifesaver storm shelter and the others? How is a Huntsville tornado shelter installed - what's the process like?
These storm shelter questions and more will be answered in this video from Huntsville Tornado Shelters.com, the official Lifesaver Storm Shelter dealer of North Alabama.
Visit the website to learn more now, including how you can get our FREE address-specific, storm-specific pinpoint weather alert service to get a phone call, email and text message when severe weather or the next Huntsville tornado is headed towards your home:
HuntsvilleTornadoShelters.com/...
In texas, in olden days, most people were farmers, and they all had what they called Root cellars. Root cellars were used as sort of a refrigirator, but they also were used when Tornado's came, Root cellars were below ground, and thus a little cooler. some of my relatives had root cellars.
What made it different from a regular cellar?
@@VinylUnboxings Regular cellars were underneath the farmhouse. Storm cellars were separate and apart from the main house, and less susceptible to being obstructed by the collapsed ruins of a large structure such as the main farmhouse. See John Steuart Curry's classic painting, Tornado Over Kansas.
Root cellars were not unique to Texas
@@davidgarris2513 did he say they were? Hes just talking about his experience in texas as a texan.
As a Texan lol,'m digging a space for a tornado shelter myself. After I get the ground dug I'm thinkin cinder blocks and cement. I'm still a little lost on how I'm gonna do the roof...
Posting this should peak the interest of your local OSHA inspector. Nice job.
I've went through 3 tornado's in my life above ground, I can tell you being underground would be much better experience...
We put one of these in back in 2012 and have not had a single issue. It is all fiberglass so cleaning is very simple. The only thing I have had to do is replace the weather gasket around the opening.
We just had the LS6 installed Love it piece of mind.
Osha would have a blast with this installation.
My thoughts exactly. They broke every rule in the book.
@@LCAPLS88 and it's not even level.
The man standing in the unbraced trench 🙀☠️
Build a storm sleep room underground so you can all night during alerts at night
Trap door in living room floor,second tunnel going from storm shelter to back yard in case debris blocks main entrance.hand ax in shelter
To those who fear being trapped in the shelter when debris piles on top of the hatch (justifiably so, your storm shelter may have to be registered so that rescue people know to check for occupants. I would also have a concern with flooding. Can't be water tight otherwise you'd also be air tight unless there's a vent stack. I didn't see one in this video, just vents around the hatch. In coastal hurricane areas, I'm not sure this shelter would be a good design. A car with a full tank of gas to get out of the way of a hurricane is better. But this is a tornado shelter.
There are so many things wrong with this tornado shelter ! First is the danger of debris landing on top of the door … making your shelter your eternal casket !!! A raised pipe railing system around the entrance should have been designed so the door could open and a standing air vent would have been nice. I guess people just don't think out things before they design them ?
Born and raised in Florida. Will take a Hurricane any day.
Thank you so much for answering that question. I was just going to ask it.
Is one of my concers if i got one id want it to be able to vent the area also in a flood be able to block that out and be able to shelve food and more that is not much space if you plan on storing food and more
This wouldn't be used as a hurricane shelter. Who the hell would go underground for that?? This is for a tornado. Period. We have one and keep a small hydraulic jack inside in case something extremely heavy lands on top. You're only in it for a short amount of time and this picture and video doesn't show the air vents. Millions of people are saved every day because of these. I'm still wondering what in the world would make ANYONE want to shelter underground during a hurricane as you mentioned...how odd...P.S. The hydrolic bottle jack we've never had to use (yet) if something lands on top of the shelter is the size of a small fire extinguisher.
It was amazing to see it all come together ❤️
There needs to be a high-lift jack inside to ensure you can get it open - also is there any ventilation? 12 people in that small space for an hour-long storm warning will suck a lot of O2
Tornadoes seldom linger; they typically pass over in a minute or less. It's not necessary to be sealed up in the shelter for the entire duration of a tornado warning, but just for the few minutes that it's actually upon you. That said, it would be a better design if there were a separate vent.
I have this shelter in the 6 people size LS6, I put a Farmers jack in it from tractors Supply. its rated to lift 2,000 lbs.
They usually come with stuff like I've seen ones that door slides open qnd has a winch jack inside so can crank it open
So with the rain gutter drain right next to the opening, is there a chance it could flood?
No Mam the drain it's at least 12 inches from the ground. And mine was installed on the highest point of ground I know that doesn't flood. Very close to my house.
@@cowboyup545 this might be helpful but what happens if a Tornado destroyed your structure that’s close to your shelter and the plumbing started flowing from broken mainline or supply lines in the structure? You can get standing water fast and it could easily overcome the offset built in the drain area. You can have wind pile water and gain depth. There’s lots of sources for water incursion. I hope you’re correct about being safe but I promise the designers are not thinking of more than what’s absolutely necessary. For example. This is a shelter primarily for protection from storms and Tornadoes correct? If they cared for you they would have some way to insure you and your Loved ones are not entrapped! They don’t consider this at all in the design. The likely thing would be a pile of debris where the structure used to stand. How easy is it going to be to exit after it’s safe with your Home piled on top of your shelter? You will be at the mercy of being helped and if it’s a big enough tornado the help might be a long long time away. I hope you never have to learn if these things could happen to you but I Pray you find a way to build something strong over the entrance to your shelter please for your safety. Please forgive me if I sound rude I have love in my heart for you and your Family. God Bless you! ❤️😌✌🏼🇺🇸
@@erickamekonapeper4007 I have the means of escaping from the shelter. We have a battery operated dewalt saw that could cut the door open to get out. This shelter is really for a storm that pops up in a hurry, that being said, I live in a double wide mobile home in the countryside. I'd rather be in that shelter than a mobile home. Like I said We do have means of escape. Thanks for your concern Mam. God Bless, hope we don't need to use it but it's there. Good Luck.
This is a great way to escape the storm. However, it is best to keep this hole mouth two feet height from the ground. If the wind is strong and accompanied by rain the hole mouth will be drenched by water and everyone in drowning.
OSHA would love to see this
I can't believe that only those two chains are anchoring that shelter to the concrete slab, and it should have had concrete poured around the entire Shelter!
Excellent operator.
Nice. It's in and hope no tornadoes but you are covered. As for the workers all safe and sound. I been thinking of getting one. Ty
Here in Texas you can register your shelter and if a tornado hits. Emergency personnel can find you if trapped inside. Any entrance to a storm shelter can become a problem depending what kind of stuff is in your area. Your neighbors trailer house can roll onto it or a car.
Where I live in texas we get Tornados but there weak they can only rip of fences and your roof but now all the way.
the the house can crumble over it...
Door needs to open downwards
No way out if house falls in it. No power ventilation , food or water , toilet, a roomy coffin
Better than being in the house when it crumbles. Your neighbors know where it is and tell somebody to look there.
Only thing one would have to worry about is the house collapsing on top off
Great work, guys!
The Huntsville Hippo! Thanx for the video...very informative and timely!
we had a storm shelter on the farm where I lived; it was a cave dug back in the hill below the house. I don't ever remember having to use it as I was growing up.
Lucky!
Bit close to the house footings isn't it!?
the dirt is all going back in so all should be well, the only issue would be if it was left open and a rain storm hit . My ex wife grew up in Huntsville Al. she told me about when she was a kid , spending the night in the neighbors basement because of weather. Her Dad worked at Nasa in Huntsville
Too close to the house, that would fall on the shelter.
Trap You in.
I think it be safe. But if the tornado strikes the house they could risk getting stuck inside from all the damedge
It's a garage. And it looks like it's the only place in the back yard to put it.
@@HyperInflation2020 That was my thought exactly.
That homeowner was really excited about his new man cave disguised as a tornado shelter. "Honey, I need to check the shelter. Be back in a few hours!"
I know from experience that them little vents at the entrance will definitely not be enough air for the said capacity. It needs an inflow and outflow. With 7 adults and 2 kids we damn near suffocated.
Having been through two tornadoes, I would feel much safer in one of these than in an above-ground interior room. It's lovely. Installation question: This seemed really close to the house. Is there any risk from undermining the footings as part of this installation?
That's the garage. The house is at least 20' away.🙄
we are looking at getting something like this . We made it through the horrible storms on march 2 and need something like this.
The Lid on top does not look level, looks like it is off to the right side. Too late now. Great under ground swimming pool or Hot Tub. I hope there never is a flood in that area. Could be under under water. Nice Job.
This is awesome, I need one in Hermitage, TN.
Air vents, on wall and and trap door look pretty low. low to the dirt. Won’t the trap door and air vents be under water with even a moderate amount of flooding after the dirt and grass are back to former height...meaning at the same height as the ground around that area of the yard?
As most of these shelters are designed.
I fear any under ground unit with only one exit where the door opens to the out side.
I have a question what happens if all the structures and trees falls on the door Which is your only access out and where is a vent for fresh air
very nicely done, thanks. Ballpark figure, how much did this instal cost? Do you see much sweating through the walls or does it stay completely dry?
now turn the hose on and soak the crap out of it so the dirt will settle and you can fill in the rest and not have any voids, its the RIGHT way to do it !
It will over time or they did the coming days but they gotta let the concrete dry that's poured underneath first
@@hardcorehunter9155 concrete doesn't dry it cures...water does not affect the process
@@johnwilliams2427 so the water leaving it after it cures isn’t considered drying?
@@rickershomesteadahobbyfarm3291 no, concrete is a chemical process and will continue to cure for decades...
@@johnwilliams2427 then where does the water go?
the bigger and deeper the hole is the better like this shelter better then most here on you tube more ground coverage in this shelter
If a tornado hits I wouldn't want this to be my shelter, if those 4 holes in the front are for air, in a bad outbreak with torrential rain and hail you would drown in there! Always make a shelter with 2 exits and always have elevated air and exhaust vents with a fan for circulation. You don't know how long you will be stuck in there!
You are right, but I think he went with basic version and not the VIP version that has phone, kitchen and TV reception.
What about lights. It’s going to be a little dark in there once u shut the door. Good luck finding a flashlight. Ur not walking to a tornado shelter.
The sales man of the shelter was a good sales man or woman.
@@billywill903 iF i HAVE TO ITEMIZE EVERYTHING YOU NEED THEN YOU ARE A LOST CAUSE!
keith mcleod WHAT ARE YOU YELLING ABOUT
Maybe some kind of raised iron grating could be put over the door area to keep debris and trees off?
Smart!
maybe the owner can think of something to protect that cover so those debris or fallen branches of trees wont land on that cover.
Now this is definitely the way to go completely protected love the video
What if it floods? What about air?
did you just lay concrete on soil? where is you 8" compacted hardcore under there and chains back fill most of it with concrete and leave a few inchs of soil on top. needs to be made of steel then coated. did not get to see how you lock it from out side.
BIGALOOOOOO dlawless44
Every home in Tornado Alley should have a storm shelter.
You are correct, however not everyone has the funds for one.
0 soil compaction, lip on shelter near structure prevents proper backfill or compaction, 40 years expeience , big issues in the future
@crocusflower Well this company doesn't do that as we personally know the owner and his passion is helping others. He has had his company over 20 years with no problems as of yet. Just sayin.... :)
Water spout runs right to the vents if flooding occurs will fill up.
is beside the garage the best place??? if a twister does touch down. you could be trapped in there from fallen structure or debris.
not really, a tornado lifts everything up...
R. Nagarya and drops it somewhere else.....
you register these with the fire dept so they know you are there and will come and get you out
Entrance doesn't seem tornado proof.
Thing is though most people get trapped in shelters due to tornadic missile like debris
Neat little shelter. I'm surprised the municipality there allowed digging that close to the foundation tho. That could do as much damage as a tornady over time, if the soul settles away from the footer.
good question, or maybe they obtain permit from the subdivision committee if u live in a subdivision. i know in the subdivision all things must be approved first.
I guess everyone has the same concerns, being trapped from that outward opening hatch.
rob ribant Exactly right. I’m just amazed at the shelter companies who use outward doors. Watched a video yesterday of a pick-up that was thrown into the door of a shelter, trapping seven people inside for awhile.
I wouldn't be that concerned, just make sure you have a small provisions kit that goes in with you and take water. I'd rather be stuck in my shelter for a day or two until I was dug out than dead in the house. Wonder if you can register storm shelters with emergency services so they know to check for you.
classicjag76 To answer your question, yes, you certainly can register information like that with emergency services. I'm a career firefighter and we have an information section for every address, for "special information" like elderly inside, wheelchair-bound, diabetic, key in flower pot etc.. Still, a door re-design here (sliding, inward) would solve this one issue.
@@classicjag76 -What about air circulation if you get trapped under debris?
Where are the air vents??? 12 people use a lot of oxygen FAST
More air please!
I can't believe a company would put their name on this video. Unbelievably dangerous practices in the installation plus the location and methods
no compaction of backfill around the shelter means future subsidence
What does that mean? Compaction of backfill around the shelter?
robin yates what are you some kind of coffee sipping city slicker??
You don’t know what compaction means and you’re calling him a city slicker??? HAHAHA!!!!
Louis P. Who are you responding to? You realize it’s two different people, right? Get a grip
tangobravo no, responding to YOU! Who else would I be talking to, you’re pretty slow on the take...
It would depend on where you live, different rules for each state in the USA. I'd contact your local building inspector, and start asking questions.
Pretty cool
Emergency crews are on site as soon as the storm is over, so packing water, a whistle, a cell phone, and some food might be a good idea. I've never heard of anyone dying in a properly prepared shelter.
JimsEquipmentShed "Emergency crews are on site as soon as the storm is over"...lmao. No emergency crews will be there when the next big storm is over.
randy s Where was this? Do you happen to have a news link to that incident?
randy s I’m just seeing one from 2015 on Oklahoma, and that was it. (Besides the four kids in a basement, and that was not a storm shelter.) my point being, storm shelters are generally pretty safe. And if you are in an area prone to flooding, additional safety measures would be required. Hence my caveat of “properly prepared shelter.”
Sump pumps are not a new thing.
Oklahoma City area 2015 -- a woman drowned in her underground storm shelter, which flooded.
little to close to the house. If the house gets hit the debris will cover that opening and trap the people won't it?
Same thing I was thinking but I guess there's not enough free space to choose another place while it still being out of the way.
Cathy Rasmussen . At least they’ll know where to find the bodies.
I was rather surprised not to see ventilation for air but they would see the doorway during cleanup or recovery and check it. Not to mention that the people inside could hear crews above working and they could make noise. Also could take a CB radio in or HAM radio for that matter. I'd rather be in there with debris on the door than under the debris and be injured or dead
I would worry about the air vents to let water run in when it rains real heavy and the water rises up over the covers. You might not get killed by a tornado but drown.
Connie . The local kids will probably stick a water hose under the lid and fill it with water anyway given half a chance. Anyway neighbours will be down the hole first like a bunch of frightened rabbits and the owners will be lucky to find a space for themselves.
I like it but there is no air vent and it's too close to the house. If something from the house falls on it your in trouble.
Is there any type of ventilation for fresh air while you're down there
Is that door strong enough to withstand tornado winds up to 500km/h? I have my reservations about that. Better have a door that opens to the inside. And you better be sure you are not in flood prone area if you lock yourself in that thing. I guess the owners have placed some useful tools inside the shelter, like a crowbar, flash lights and maybe even a hand speaker in case of entrapment.
Cheap quality door. One need atleast 2cm thick steel.
And that is what need for here because we sometimes get tornadoes like this down here in are area in Pennsylvania too😢.
That's great..but what do you do if you are not at home when it hits?
While he’s trying to take his shoes off, the tornado veers & sweeps him away.😜🌪
Why would you put that so close to a building? If the building blows over your stuck in the shelter. Until somebody either remembers you have one. Or comes to find you.
That is what concerns me when I see those shelters under people's garages where the door slides back to allow a person to walk into the shelter. What happens if the roof of the garage falls on the shelter door?
We have quite a few tornadoes in Southern Wisconsin too, but we just use our basements for protection, and pray! Lol
How strong is that trap door? What if any debris drop on it, can that be penetrated? I'd prefer a concrete surround with a solid door or a wall infront of the door. Do they put lights in their? Would install power & lights with emergency lights as well, that way you can have a source of light in there & leave a torch that is charged from the mains just to make sure you have power.
vents are on the sides of the entrance
These are needed in *every* US state. NOW.
Incredibly dangerous to be down in that hole without shoring! What are the minimum federal and state codes for a storm shelter? Give yourself more than one point of entry/exit.
Damn sheep love their govt rules!
@@Guiltless765 Spoken by one who has never been buried alive in a collapsed trench. Sometimes regulations are beneficial and save lives.
@Psycho Creep lmao right u have a f 5 coming at u 🤣 this guy's over here worried about osha and regulations fuck that I'll break every rule in book to get me to saftey
my question is if theres flooding in the area, is that underground shelter flood free or flood water wont get inside? otherwise u will be emptying that shelter as like a drainage? hoped not, hoped its sealed and also there's no airvent? otherwise u will lack oxygen inside if u stayed there for 1hr like u choked urself and others,hoped theres somewhere in that shelter with airvent? and is that lock inside good or strong enough? u know the force of that tornado it can lift u or suck u out of that shelter, i remember the guy who has that shelter too he said he and others has to hung onto that metal handle coz the tornado trying to lift that cover. its nice to have one, yes its safer than in the house. i saw one family with shelter too and they can still use their cp and portable tv its still getting signal even underground,that was in Mayfield kentucky family they were safe dec 10,2021 tornado that wrecked that place.
What happens if a tornado is powerful enough to knock the house/bricks or a tree or vehicle onto the top of the entrance? Do you have a jack or something to force it open?
What about fresh air ventilation ? If it's there I didn't notice it.
An inward swing door in this function would fail under load. Hence the outswing.
Question? I take it, it all depends on the region you live in by the standards these are built.
Good idea, but there's a seriously deadly flaw. The hatch door could be blocked by someone from the outside by placing several hundred pounds on the door. Instead of the shelter saving your life, it could become your tomb.
IMHO, it is very close to home. What if during a tornado destroyed house will seal the exit?
I noticed this thing is not wheelchair accessible, just narrow steps. There’s also no extra air shafts. Why?
That’s some pretty soil coming out of the hole! I wish I could have that soils here around Washington State 😏❤️✌🏼🇺🇸
Interesting to see the process but the homeowner picked a bad spot to place the shelter. The garage can collapse and it will block the entrance to the shelter, trapping anyone inside. Hopefully someone will know to come looking.
Should be equipped with lights powered by alternate power, source of air and room for supplies. If heavy debris fell on door, people in shelter would need a way to communicate to emergency workers. It's not like the entrance is high profile. Just saying.
dropping concrete over 3 ft is a violation of ACI ( American Concrete Institute )...it causes it to desegregate....reduces its strength / mix design. Other than that ..THUMBS UP !!!
You are correct. Also the mix looks very wet. The wetter the concrete, the weaker it will be. Needs a slump test.
Stuff like these. Should be Free
And who is going to spend their free time, and all their money, building it for us?
Aloha from Waikiki . Shout out to Madison. Huntsville, Hazel Green, Gurley.Roll Tide.Yes, Tua.
Don't forget Tua's brother, he's coming too.
This dealer knows how to install a shelter!
I'm no expert but shouldn't there be drainage under the slab to prevent water from building up and pushing the shelter above ground? And again don't want to moan but usually, you compact by hand or machine every two feet to prevent subsidence especially so near a house foundation.
@HansSchoff
Yes I agree. Good advice!
The air vents don't appear to be adequate especially if more than two persons were holded up for very long.
During a tornado air would be blowing in there like a jet flow
5 tons pressure pushing up equals 5 tons of pressure pushing down. Are the steps capable of withstanding that pressure ?
what version of Sweet Home ALabama was that in intro?? Didn't sound like Skynard .
Good choice of theme considering you live in.. well, good ol Alabama
(never been there - just assuming its a nice place - word of mouth (and Upchurch) says hell yeah)
It's a great idea fellas but there's a couple things you guys need to change if you want to last. Those chains are going to rust up and be worthless in a years time maybe two. I think you should have caged it with rebar, and cover the whole thing with concrete. Hauled off the dirt somewhere else.
We also need this in South Africa. Nico
And what happen if some house part fall on the shelter's entry? also what happen after few weeks to that side dirt not even compacted? make it higher so when wet and goes down it will auto level
i think that side of the undergrd shelter must be cemented too so flood water wont linger on that sides or around that underground shelter, or is that shelter rustproof? it wont decay? the cp can be used to call for help and if they have signal.
I have soo many questions.. how do you breathe when the hatch is closed? With 3-5 people inside of a closed plastic box during a hot storm doesn't it get unbearably hot? What happens if debris traps you inside leaving you unable to open the hatch? What do you do if you need to go potty?
Would you survive inside in the event of a sinkhole? Imma need the manufacturers to make a whole video answering these questions😁
i saw a video,this guy has this underground shelter and he put a little curtain for privacy in case they have to use the portable potty and has lined plastic so it wont smell, they have put buckets of water, toilet paper, bottle water snacks to eat in case someone gets hungry, the guy has extra batteries for flashlights,hammer, cutter,those things he thought might be in use in case. he was tornado ready in that video.
It's a death trap these people are nuts
Is it really that safe for the foundation of the house to have that much dirt removed right up next to the house?
Good idea but it seems there will be no ventilation and too close to the building where if a strong tornado comes through I can see the building collapsing on top of the shelter making it worst and harder to recover people if someone knows about it.
I don’t understand the concrete and chain anchor system. There is no tornado ever that sucked a shelter out of the ground that has dirt on it. Are you doing that because there is a high water table that will float the shelter?
Do you all install in Northwest Mississippi? Specifically in Bolivar County?
When not in storm season, fill with water and fish, enjoy!
What about air flow in and out and how does the door latch tight as I have heard of doors being too hard to shut and people being sucked out.Didn’t even let the concrete set. What will the basement walls do in the winter ? When the debris lands on top and not enough air inside..oh boy. Yahoo Construction strikes again.
AIR??? Come on, being a bit particular aren’t you? With a capacity of 12 people, I’m POSITIVE there’s enough air in there to last a SOLID 10 minutes...
Don't get to many twisters up here but my house has a room in basement w mattress and extras it's small but can hold alot of bodies if need be marked w city so they can find us .
I don't see no secondary escape hatch, so if a car lands on top of you and it's covered with debris, nobody will see you or hear you in there! There should at least be a 20 ton jack mounted on the door so if there is something on top, then you have a better chance of getting out!
Kind of missing the point. Better figuring out getting out of this post-tornado than already being dead from not having it…
I don’t see any vent. Scary if there isn’t any air exchange. What about flooding?
Love to have one
Where's the ventilation and a extra door. If the main door is blocked by debris, how are people going to get out