Fema P-320 2014 508 PDF

Taking Shelter
from the Storm

Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business
Includes Construction Plans
FEMA P-320, Fourth Edition / December 2014
Taking Shelter
from the Storm
Building a Safe Room for Your Home
or Small Business
Includes Construction Plans
FEMA P-320, Fourth Edition / December 2014
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not
necessarily reflect the views of FEMA. Additionally, neither FEMA nor any of its employees makes
any warrantee, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy,
completeness, or usefulness of any information, product, or process included in this publication.
Users of information contained in this publication assume all liability arising from such use.
PREFACE
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is pleased to have this

opportunity to update and improve the guidance through this new edition of FEMA
P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business.
Since the first edition of FEMA P-320 was issued in 1998, more than 1 million copies
of the publication have been distributed, and nearly 25,000 residential safe rooms
have been constructed with FEMA funding assistance.
Other positive developments include but are not limited to:
•• The construction of tens of thousands of safe rooms with private funds.
•• The International Code Council’s (ICC’s) release of a consensus standard on the

design and construction of storm shelters. This standard, the ICC/NSSA Standard
for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters (ICC 500) is a referenced standard
in the 2009, 2012, and 2015 International Building Code and International
Residential Code.
TAKING SHELTER FROM THE STORM i Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business
CONTENTS
Preface ..................................................................................................................................................................... i
Acronyms .................................................................................................................................................................. vii
Chapter 1.. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 1
Chapter 2. Understanding the Hazards..................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Tornadoes......................................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Hurricanes........................................................................................................................................ 8
2.3 Effects of Extreme Winds on a Building.......................................................................................10
2.4 Do You Need a Safe Room?............................................................................................................11
2.5 Assessing Your Risk.........................................................................................................................13
Chapter 3. Planning Your Safe Room...................................................................................................................... 15
3.1 Design Basis.................................................................................................................................... 15
3.2 Flood Hazard Siting and Elevation................................................................................................16

3.2.1 Flood Hazard Siting Criteria..............................................................................................16
3.2.2 Flood Hazard Elevation Criteria........................................................................................17
3.3 New versus Existing Homes or Buildings......................................................................................17
3.4 Safe Room Size................................................................................................................................19
3.5 Safe Room Locations..................................................................................................................... 20

3.5.1 Siting Your Safe Room: Inside or Outside?...................................................................... 20
3.5.2 Siting a Safe Room Inside a Home or Small Business......................................................21
3.6 Floor Plans Showing Possible Safe Room Locations................................................................... 23

3.6.1 Floor Plan 1: Basement...................................................................................................... 23
3.6.2 Floor Plan 2: Safe Rooms on the Primary Level of a Home or Small Business............. 23
3.6.3 Floor Plan 3: In-Ground Safe Rooms............................................................................... 23
3.6.4 Floor Plan 4: Multipurpose Safe Rooms in a Small Business..........................................24
3.6.5 Selection of Safe Room Type and Location......................................................................24
3.7 Foundation Type............................................................................................................................ 26

3.7.1 Basement Foundation Applications.................................................................................. 26
3.7.2 Slab-on-Grade Applications.............................................................................................. 27
3.7.3 Crawlspace or Pile Applications........................................................................................ 28
TAKING SHELTER FROM THE STORM iii Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business
3.8 Construction Materials.................................................................................................................. 29
3.9 Safe Room Doors............................................................................................................................ 30

3.9.1 What Should You Look for in a Door?.............................................................................. 30
3.9.2 Why Does the Door Cost So Much?.................................................................................. 32
3.10 Safe Room Cost.............................................................................................................................. 32
Chapter 4. Building Your Safe Room....................................................................................................................... 35
4.1 Design Drawings ............................................................................................................................ 35
4.2 How to Use the Drawings.............................................................................................................. 36

4.2.1 Additional Requirements for Community Safe Rooms (Serving Small
Businesses or More Than 16 Residential Occupants)..................................................... 37
4.2.2 Seismic Risks....................................................................................................................... 38
4.3 Consumer Guide............................................................................................................................ 38
4.4 Emergency Planning and Emergency Supply Kit........................................................................ 40
4.5 Additional Resources..................................................................................................................... 42
Chapter 5. Safe Rooms Save Lives............................................................................................................................ 43
Chapter 6. References............................................................................................................................................... 49
Appendix A. Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................................51
Appendix B. Tornado Safe Room Door Fact Sheet.................................................................................................... 53
List of Figures
Figure 2‑1: Typical tornado damage according to the EF Scale (wind speeds are estimated
3-second-gust wind speeds).......................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 2‑2: Recorded EF3, EF4, and EF5 tornadoes in the United States from 1950 to 2013..................................... 7
Figure 2‑3: Storm surge.................................................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 2‑4: Typical damage associated with hurricane categories according to the Saffir-Simpson
Hurricane Wind Scale (wind speeds are 1-minute sustained speeds) ...................................................... 9
Figure 2‑5: Effect of extreme winds on building roof and walls..................................................................................10
Figure 2‑6: Example of a garage door failure that initiated progressive failure, including loss
of the garage roof.........................................................................................................................................10
TAKING SHELTER FROM THE STORM iv Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business
Figure 2‑7: Wind Zones in the United States................................................................................................................ 12
Figure 3‑1: Exterior walls constructed of CMUs (New Smyrna Beach, FL, 2007)......................................................18
Figure 3‑2: In-home safe room under construction (New Smyrna Beach, FL, 2007)................................................19
Figure 3‑3: An above-ground safe room constructed as an addition to a slab-on-grade home in

a way that matches the aesthetics of the home (outside Tuscaloosa, AL, 2011)......................................21
Figure 3‑4: Core remnants of homes sometimes survive a tornado (Tuscaloosa, AL, 2011).................................... 22
Figure 3‑5: Above-ground residential safe room that was in the garage of a home hit by
an EF5 tornado in Joplin, MO (2011)........................................................................................................ 22
Figure 3‑6: Floor Plan 1: Possible safe room locations in a basement......................................................................... 23
Figure 3‑7: Floor Plan 2: Home on a slab-on-grade or crawlspace foundation.......................................................... 23
Figure 3‑8: Floor Plan 3: Possible in-ground safe room locations in a home without a basement............................24
Figure 3‑9: Floor Plan 4: Multipurpose safe room locations in a fire station..............................................................24
Figure 3‑10: Cross section: Typical new construction basement foundation with safe room..................................... 26
Figure 3‑11: Cross section: Typical slab-on-grade foundation with safe room............................................................ 27
Figure 3‑12: Cross-section: Typical crawlspace foundation with safe room................................................................. 29
Figure 3‑13: Example door label for a product that has been tested to safe room criteria........................................ 32
Figure 4‑1: Seismic risk map.......................................................................................................................................... 39
Figure 5‑1: Safe room that remained standing after an EF5 tornado (Newcastle, OK, 2013).................................. 45
Figure 5‑2: Site-built safe room that withstood the impact of the Moore tornado (Moore, OK, 2013)................... 47
List of Tables
Table 2-1: Safe Room Risk Based on Wind Zones ..........................................................................................................13
Table 3-1: Appropriate Types of Safe Rooms for New and Existing Homes and Buildings ....................................... 25
Table 3-2: Construction, Applicability, and Access for Safe Rooms ............................................................................. 25
Table 4‑1: Design Drawings Index................................................................................................................................... 36
TAKING SHELTER FROM THE STORM v Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business
ACRONYMS
AHJ authority having jurisdiction
ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers
CMU concrete masonry unit
CR County Road
EF Scale Enhanced Fujita Scale
F Scale Fujita Scale
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FLASH Federal Alliance for Safe Homes
HMGP Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
IBC International Building Code
ICC International Code Council
ICF insulated concrete form
IRC International Residential Code
MAT Mitigation Assessment Team
NEHRP National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program
NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NSSA National Storm Shelter Association
NWR NOAA Weather Radio
NWS National Weather Service
OEM Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management
SFHA Special Flood Hazard Area
TAKING SHELTER FROM THE STORM vii Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Every year, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other extreme windstorms cause injury, death, and property damage
worth billions of dollars in the United States. Even so, more and more people build homes in tornado- and
hurricane-prone areas, possibly putting themselves into the path of such storms.
Introduction
T
his publication is primarily intended for In August 2008, the International Code Council
homeowners, builders, and contractors, but (ICC), with the support of the National Storm Shelter
can also be used by design professionals and Association (NSSA), released a consensus standard
local officials for decision-making guidance on tornado on the design and construction of storm shelters. This
and hurricane safe rooms. Design professionals and standard, the ICC/NSSA Standard for the Design and
other readers seeking more technical guidance should Construction of Storm Shelters (ICC 500, 2014), codifies
refer to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s much of the safe room recommendations of the
(FEMA’s) FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and early editions of FEMA P-320 and FEMA P-361. ICC
Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe 500 provides the minimum design and construction
Rooms (2015), which provides the requirements for extreme wind
design criteria and commentary used storm shelters and has been
to develop the prescriptive solutions incorporated by referenced standard
and safe room planning guidance into the 2009, 2012, and 2015
provided in this publication. The safe International Building Code (IBC)
room designs in this publication were and International Residential Code
developed primarily for use in new (IRC). Those involved in the design,
homes and small businesses, but some construction, and maintenance
can be used in existing buildings. of safe rooms should become
This publication and FEMA P-361 knowledgeable of both FEMA
supersede the FEMA National guidance and ICC standards that
Performance Criteria for Tornado Shelters pertain to sheltering from extreme
(1999) as well as any earlier versions winds.
of FEMA P‑320.
TAKING SHELTER FROM THE STORM 1 Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business
1. Introduction
Having a safe room for your home or small business

can help provide near-absolute protection for you and TERMINOLOGY
your family or employees from injury or death caused Residential safe room. A safe room serving occu-
by the dangerous forces of extreme winds. Near- pants of dwelling units and having an occupant load
absolute protection means that, based on our current not exceeding 16 persons.
knowledge of tornadoes and hurricanes, the occupants Community safe soom. Any safe room not defined as
of a safe room built according to this publication will a residential safe room.
have a high probability of being protected from injury
or death. Our knowledge of tornadoes and hurricanes
is based on substantial meteorological records as well This publication includes safe room designs and
as extensive investigations of damage to structures shows you and your builder/contractor or local design
from extreme winds. Having a safe room can also professional how to construct a safe room for your
relieve some of the anxiety created by the threat of an home or small business. Design options include safe
oncoming tornado or hurricane. For examples of safe rooms located inside or outside of a new home or small
room success stories, see Chapter 5. business. Guidance is also provided on how to modify
an existing home or small business to add a safe room
Should you consider building a safe room in your home
in an existing space. The safe rooms discussed herein
or small business to provide protection for you, your
are designed to provide protection for you, your family,
family, or employees during a tornado or hurricane?
or employees from the extreme winds expected during
This publication will help you answer this and other tornadoes and hurricanes and from wind-borne debris
questions so you can decide how best to provide that associated with these events.
protection. It includes the results of research that has
All guidance in this publication is applicable to
been underway for more than 30 years by Texas Tech
residential safe rooms, but may also be useful for
University’s National Wind Institute and other wind
safe rooms in small businesses. However, safe rooms
engineering research facilities on the effects of extreme
in small businesses (or in residences with greater
winds on buildings.
TORNADO OCCURRENCE AND RESULTANT LOSSES
The National Weather Service did not start keeping or-

ganized records of tornadoes in the United States until
1950. Since then, the deadliest year for tornadoes was
2011, which claimed 553 lives.1 The single deadliest tor-
nado to date was in Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011,
with 161 fatalities.
Compared with other natural hazards, single tornado

events typically affect smaller geographical areas but
occur more often and cause more deaths than hur-
ricanes and earthquakes. From 1950 through 2011,
tornadoes caused about 5,600 fatalities in the United
States, more than hurricanes and earthquakes over This photograph from FEMA’s photo library shows the
the same time (NIST, 2014). vivid reality of how lives are impacted by tornadoes
(Lafayette, TN, February 5, 2008).
SOURCE: JOCELYN AUGUSTINO/FEMA
1 Source: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory
1. Introduction
than 16 occupants) are considered community They are a set of “prescriptive solutions” to the
safe rooms and, therefore, must be designed with technical design criteria set forth in ICC 500 and FEMA
additional architectural, fire safety, ventilation, and P-361. When installation and foundation requirements
other requirements, as described in FEMA P-361 are addressed by a licensed professional engineer or
and ICC 500. For more information on requirements architect, these designs will meet or exceed the design
for community safe rooms in small businesses, see requirements set forth in the ICC 500 for residential
Section 4.2.1. storm shelters for both tornado and hurricane hazards.
The safe room designs presented herein provide site-
The safe rooms in this publication have been designed
built solutions; information on prefabricated safe
with life-safety protection as the primary consideration.
rooms can be found in Section 4.3 of this publication.
SPRING 2011 TORNADO OUTBREAK
The Southeastern and Midwestern portions of the United States experienced his-
toric tornado activity in the spring of 2011. From April 25 to 28, 2011, hundreds of
tornadoes ranging from EF0 to EF5 touched down from Texas to New York, with
some of the strongest and most devastating on April 27 occurring in Alabama,
Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. According to the National Weather Service
(NWS), tornado-caused deaths reached 364 during the month of April, with 321
people killed during the April 25–28 tornado outbreak.
Less than a month later, on May 22, more than 50 tornadoes touched down
across an eight-State area, the most powerful of which was a 0.75-mile-wide
EF5 tornado that cut a 6-mile path through Joplin, MO. The tornado destroyed
thousands of homes and caused widespread damage in the city. This historic
tornado resulted in 161 fatalities, the most fatalities ever recorded from a sin-
gle tornado since modern record keeping began in 1950.
A Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) was deployed to assess the dam-

age in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, and Joplin, MO. The MAT
investigated the performance of residential buildings, commercial and indus-
trial buildings, critical and essential facilities, and infrastructure, as well as safe rooms, storm
shelters, hardened areas, and tornado refuge areas. FEMA P-908, Mitigation Assessment Team Report – Spring 2011
Tornadoes: April 25-28 and May 22 (FEMA, 2012), presents the MAT’s field observations, as well as subsequent con-
clusions and recommendations, which have been incorporated into this edition of FEMA P-320.
Two MAT recommendations were successfully submitted as code change proposals for the 2015 IBC. As a result,
the 2015 IBC requires storm shelters to be incorporated when any of the following are constructed: K-12 schools with
capacity for more than 50 occupants; 911 call stations; fire, rescue, ambulance, and police stations; and emergency
operation centers. The requirement only applies in Wind Zone IV (see Figure 2-7 for wind zone details) for communities
that adopt the 2015 IBC.
CHAPTER 2
Understanding the Hazards
A
lmost every State in the United States has
been affected by extreme windstorms such as TERMINOLOGY
tornadoes and hurricanes. All Atlantic and Gulf Missile. Test specimen used to simulate wind-borne
of Mexico coastal areas in the United States, including debris.
Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Hawaii, have
Wind-borne debris. Debris that is picked up by the
been affected by hurricanes. Even States not normally wind and moved with enough force to damage and
considered to be susceptible to extreme windstorms even penetrate windows, doors, walls, and other
have experienced dangerous extreme winds; lesser parts of a building. In general, the stronger the wind,
known areas for experiencing extreme winds are the larger and heavier the debris it can carry and the
typically near mountain ranges, including the Pacific greater the risk of severe damage or injury. But even
small stones, branches, and other lighter debris can
Northwest coast.
easily break glass doors and windows.
A homeowner’s decision regarding whether to build a
safe room depends in large part on the risk of being
struck by one of these events. This chapter describes Scale is designed similar to the F Scale, but has been
tornadoes, hurricanes, the effect of high winds on a revised to have a greater number of Damage Indicators,
building, and the decision process for determining the which are used to characterize the degree of damage
need for a safe room. experienced by buildings during a tornado.
The risk and frequency of tornadoes varies across the

2.1 Tornadoes country and within each State. Comparing the numbers
of tornadoes recorded in different areas of the country
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air with
can give you a better understanding of potential
wind speeds that can be significantly higher than
tornado activity in those areas. Figure 2-2 shows the
design wind speeds in modern building codes.
general locations of recorded EF3, EF4, and EF5
Although tornadoes typically occur in the spring and
tornadoes in the United States between 1950 and 2013
summer months, they can occur at any time in any
(NOAA, 2014a). While this map presents a reasonable
part of the country. In some cases, hurricanes spawn
portrayal of tornado activity in the United States
tornadoes. The severity of a tornado is categorized by
since 1950, it should not be assumed that locations
the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale). As of February
that do not have a tornado track marked have never
2007, the EF Scale (see Figure 2-1) was adopted by the
had a tornado or will never experience one. First, any
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
tornadoes that occurred prior to 1950 are not shown on
(NOAA) to replace the Fujita Scale (F Scale). The EF
TAKING SHELTER FROM THE STORM
Complete
destruction of
engineered and/or
well-constructed
residence; slab
swept clean.
(165–220 mph)
All walls collapsed.
(142–198 mph)
2. Understanding the Hazards

Most walls collapse
except small interior
rooms.
(127–178 mph)
6
Entire house shifts

off foundation, and/
or large sections
of roof structure
removed; most walls

remain standing.
Broken glass in (103–142 mph)
doors and windows,
uplift of roof deck
and significant loss
of roof covering
(>20%), collapse
of chimneys and Loss of roof covering
garage doors. material (<20%),
(79–116 mph) gutters, and/or
awnings; loss of vinyl
or metal siding.
(63–97 mph)
Figure 2‑1: Typical tornado damage according to the EF Scale

(wind speeds are estimated 3-second-gust wind speeds)
SOURCE: NOAA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, STORM PREDICTION CENTER

7
Figure 2‑2: Recorded EF3, EF4, and EF5 tornadoes in the United States from 1950 to 2013
SOURCE: NOAA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, STORM PREDICTION CENTER
this map. Second, it is likely that some tornadoes went are broad storms capable of delivering high winds
undetected and are therefore not shown on this map. and flooding to large areas. A hurricane that reaches
And lastly, if a tornado is not shown in a particular Category 3 or higher is considered a major hurricane,
location on this map, it does not suggest that a tornado but Category 1 and 2 hurricanes are still dangerous.
will never occur in those locations; a tornado can
In the United States, 289 hurricanes were recorded
occur anytime and anywhere, given the appropriate
to have made landfall between 1851 and 2011. Over
conditions.
one-third of these hurricanes (97) were classified as
major hurricanes. Hurricanes have made landfall in
2.2 Hurricanes Florida more than in any other State. The second most
hurricane-affected State is Texas, but every State on
A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with sustained winds
the Gulf Coast and bordering the Atlantic Ocean is
of 74 mph or greater. Hurricanes are characterized
susceptible to damage caused by hurricanes, as are
by a low-pressure center that creates strong winds and
U.S. island possessions and Territories of Puerto Rico,
rain. Hurricane intensities depend on a number of
American Samoa, and Guam, which have been seriously
complex processes, but are generally measured in terms
affected by numerous tropical cyclones. Hurricanes
of maximum surface wind speeds or minimum surface
between 1950 and 2011 resulted in 3,102 deaths
pressure. Hurricanes are categorized by the Saffir-
(NOAA, 2014b).
Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (see Figure 2-4), which
assigns a category from 1 to 5 based on a hurricane’s
sustained wind speed. Hurricanes can be devastating
storms; while tornadoes affect smaller areas, hurricanes
WARNING
TERMINOLOGY Safe rooms designed to protect you and your family or employees from a hur-
ricane or tornado should not be built in areas expected to be flooded during
Storm surge. In this publi- a hurricane, thunderstorm, or other severe weather event. Residents of haz-
cation, “storm surge” means ard-prone coastal areas should abide by the warnings of their local emergency
an abnormal rise in sea level services personnel and evacuate to safer ground. The protection from wind
accompanying a hurricane provided by safe rooms and shelters is quickly negated when people find them-
or other intense storm, with selves trapped and inundated by floodwaters.
a height that is the differ-
ence between the observed If you do not know whether your home or small business is in a storm surge
level of the sea surface and area or other area subject to flooding, ask your local emergency management
the level that would have or floodplain management official.
occurred in the absence of
the tropical cyclone. Storm
surge (see Figure 2-3) is usu-
ally estimated by subtracting
the normal or predicted as-
tronomical tide from the
observed storm tide. The
storm surge measurement
does not include wave
height unless specifically
noted, which can add 3 feet
or more.
Figure 2‑3: Storm surge
A high percentage of
framed homes will be
destroyed, with total roof
failure and wall collapse.
Fallen trees and power
poles will isolate residential
areas. Power outages will
last for weeks to possibly
months. Most of the area
will be uninhabitable for
weeks or months. Well-built framed homes can
(157 mph or higher) sustain severe damage with loss
of most of the roof structure and/
or some exterior walls. Most
trees will be snapped or uprooted
and power poles downed. Fallen
trees and power poles will isolate
residential areas. Power outages

Well-built framed will last weeks to possibly
homes may incur major months. Most of the area will
damage or removal of be uninhabitable for weeks or
roof decking and gable months. (130–156 mph)
ends. Many trees will be
snapped or uprooted,
9
blocking numerous roads.

Electricity and water will be
unavailable for several days
to weeks after the storm
passes. (111–129 mph) Well-constructed framed homes
could sustain major roof and

siding damage. Many shallowly
rooted trees will be snapped or
uprooted and block numerous
roads. Near-total power loss
is expected with outages that
Well-constructed framed could last from several days
homes could have damage to weeks.
to roof, shingles, vinyl (96–110 mph)
siding, and gutters. Large
branches of trees will snap
and shallowly rooted trees
may be toppled. Extensive
damage to power lines and
poles likely will result in
power outages that could Figure 2‑4: Typical damage associated with hurricane
last a few to several days. categories according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind
(74–95 mph) Scale (wind speeds are 1-minute sustained speeds)
SOURCE: NOAA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
2.3 Effects of Extreme Buildings that fail under the effects of extreme winds
often appear to have exploded. This has given rise to
Winds on a Building
the misconception that, during an extreme wind event,
Extreme winds can cause severe damage to a building. the windows and doors in a building should be opened
For example, the roof covering, roof deck, or wall to equalize the pressure and prevent atmospheric
siding can be pulled off and the windows can be pressure differences from inside and outside the
pushed into or pulled off of a building. Figure 2-5 building.
shows how extreme winds can affect a building and
In fact, opening a window or door allows wind to enter
cause it to fail. When wind enters a building through
a building and increases the pressure acting on the
a broken window, door, or roof section, that wind acts
interior of the building and the risk of building failure.
on the inside of a building much like air acts when
This is illustrated in Figure 2-6, where the failure of a
forced into a balloon; it pushes on the walls and roof
garage door initiated progressive failure that included
of the building from the inside. These forces within
the loss of the garage roof.
the building added to the wind forces acting on the
outside of the building often result in building failure. Damage can also be caused by flying debris. If wind
Buildings are generally not designed to resist forces speeds are extreme, debris can penetrate or perforate
acting on both the inside and the outside of the windows, walls, or the roof. For example, a 2-inch ×
building. 4-inch wood stud weighing 15 pounds, when carried
Figure 2‑5:
Effect of extreme winds on
building roof and walls
Figure 2-6:
Example of a garage door failure
that initiated progressive failure,
including loss of the garage roof
by a 250-mph wind, can have a horizontal speed of 100 safe room. If you decide that you need a safe room,
mph, which is enough force to penetrate or perforate Chapter 3 will help you and your builder/contractor
most common building materials used in homes today. or local design professional in planning your safe
Even a reinforced masonry wall, which typically has room. To learn more about the wind history for the
hollow cells between reinforced cells, will be perforated area where you live, check with your local building
unless it has been designed and constructed to resist official, meteorologist, or emergency management
debris impact during extreme winds. Because debris official. Also, visit the NOAA National Climatic Data
can severely damage and even perforate windows, walls, Center, which contains data on various types of storms
and roofs, they threaten not only buildings but the within the United States, at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/
occupants as well. stormevents.
2.4 Do You Need a Safe Room?

EVACUATION CONSIDERATIONS
Building owners should ask themselves several
A safe room may be designed and constructed to meet
questions when considering whether to install a
all applicable FEMA criteria. However, use of the safe
safe room: room during an emergency event may not be in com-
• What is my risk of tornadoes and/or hurricanes? pliance with mandatory evacuation orders of the local
jurisdiction. For instance, local emergency manage-
• What existing refuge options do I have if a tornado ment officials may declare a mandatory evacuation
or hurricane occurs in my location? prior to a hurricane event. FEMA recommends that all
potential safe room occupants comply with local ju-
• What level of safety am I comfortable with?
risdictional directions and evacuation orders during
• How feasible is it to construct a safe room, and what an emergency event even if they have constructed a
are the costs? safe room.
On the basis of 60 years of tornado history and more

than 150 years of hurricane history, the United
States has been divided roughly into four zones that The prescriptive designs included in this publication
geographically reflect the number and strength of should not be used to install safe rooms in hurricane-
recorded extreme windstorms (Figure 2-7). Zone IV prone areas that may be inundated by storm surge or
has experienced the most and the strongest tornado flooding from a hurricane. In areas not prone to storm
activity. Zone III has experienced significant tornado surge, a safe room may be installed within mapped
activity and includes most coastal areas that are floodplains only when the designs provided herein
susceptible to hurricanes. Zones II and I represent meet the flood hazard criteria presented in Section 3.2,
areas with relatively lower historical tornado activity comply with all local floodplain ordinances, and are
that correlate with a lower risk of tornadoes in those coordinated with local emergency management.
areas. Zone II includes some areas east of the Rocky
Your home or place of business may be built in
Mountains that are not covered in Zone III and parts
accordance with local building codes that take into
of the northeast. Zone I primarily consists of areas
account the effects of minimum design winds for your
west of the Rocky Mountains, where there are relatively
area. Building codes require that buildings be able
few tornado occurrences. Additionally, the hurricane-
to withstand a “design” wind event. In most inland
prone region (as identified in Figure 2-7 along the Gulf
tornado-prone regions, the building code design wind
Coast and Atlantic Coast) indicates substantial risk to
speed (typically associated with a severe thunderstorm)
hurricanes.
is 115 mph in the latest editions of the IRC and IBC
Section 2.5 includes guidance to help you determine (2015 editions). For hurricane-prone areas, design
your level of risk from these extreme events and will wind speeds required by the 2015 IRC and 2015 IBC
assist you in your decision whether or not to install a typically range from 115 mph to 180 mph. A tornado or

12
* If you are uncertain of your location because of the level of

detail and size of the map, or if you live on or very near one
Figure 2‑7: Wind Zones in the United States* of the delineation lines, use the highest adjacent wind zone.
hurricane can cause winds much stronger than those to address flood hazards) will meet or exceed the
on which local code requirements are based. Having a ICC 500 residential storm shelter design criteria. For
home built to the minimum requirements of the code small businesses, community safe rooms, and safe
does not mean that your home can withstand wind rooms in residential buildings with more than 16
from extreme wind events. In addition to extreme occupants, additional criteria are specified in ICC 500,
wind speeds, tornadoes and hurricanes can produce including, but not limited to, ventilation, sanitation,
significant wind-borne debris. Inland areas that are and fire separation requirements. The designs in this
outside of the hurricane wind-borne debris region are publication are intended for residential safe room
not required by code to be designed to resist debris, applications, and will not meet the necessary criteria
which makes the protection of a safe room particularly for small business safe rooms without additional
important. The safe room designs in this publication detailing and modifications.
provide a place to seek safe shelter during these
extreme wind events.
2.5 Assessing Your Risk
Building codes are adopted at the local or State level
To determine if you are in an area prone to low,
in a process that takes model codes, such as the IRC
moderate, or high wind hazards, use Figure 2-7 to
and IBC, and accepts them as the local building code,
determine the wind hazard zone for the area where
often with amendments or modifications. With the
your building is located. If you are uncertain of
incorporation of ICC 500 by referenced standard into
your location, given the level of detail and size of
the 2009, 2012, and 2015 IRC and IBC, States and local
the map, or find you live on or very near one of the
communities that adopt these codes with the reference
delineation lines, use the highest adjacent wind zone.
to ICC 500 intact require any new facility designated as
Once you determine your wind hazard zone, your risk
a tornado or hurricane storm shelter to be constructed
and guidance for your level of risk can be found in
to the requirements
Table 2-1.
in ICC 500. ICC 500
codifies much of FEMA’s RESIDENTIAL SAFE Note that some areas
ROOMS HURRICANE RISK
guidance for safe room of the United States
design and construction. It is recommended that are also subject to For more detailed in-
residential safe rooms formation on hurricane
A safe room designed hurricanes (see Figure
are designed for 250 risks in the United
and constructed 2-7). If you live in this
mph winds regardless States, see Chapter 3
to the prescriptive hurricane-prone region, of FEMA P-55, Coastal
of the location of the
designs included safe room with respect your risk is considered Construction Manual
in this publication to the wind zone areas. high for the intent of (FEMA, 2011).
(and properly sited considering a safe room.
Table 2-1: Safe Room Risk Based on Wind Zones

WIND ZONE RISK GUIDANCE
Need for an extreme-wind safe room is a matter of homeowner or small

I Low Risk
business owner preference
II Moderate Risk Safe room should be considered for protection from extreme winds
III and IV High Risk Safe room is the preferred method of protection from extreme winds
Safe room is the preferred method of protection from extreme winds.

Hurricane-Prone FEMA recommends that all potential safe room occupants comply with local
High Risk
Region jurisdictional directions and evacuation orders during an emergency event,
even if they have constructed a safe room.
CHAPTER 3
Planning Your Safe Room
N
ow that you better understand your risk from
a tornado or hurricane, you can work with DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
your builder/contractor and local design
This publication provides FEMA safe room designs
professional as necessary to build a safe room to that meet or exceed the minimum residential shelter
provide protection for you, your family, or employees design requirements from FEMA P-361 and ICC 500.
from these extreme windstorms. This section describes
The safe room designs in this publication are appli-
the basis of the safe room designs presented in this cable for both tornado and hurricane hazards for the
publication and shows you where you can build a safe residential shelter (with 16 or fewer occupants) design
room in your home or small business. criteria identified in FEMA P-361 and ICC 500.
The safe room design wind speed used for these

3.1 Design Basis designs is 250 mph. The safe rooms have been de-
signed as “partially enclosed buildings” per ASCE 7
The purpose of a safe room is to provide a space where to meet the requirements of both residential and com-
munity safe rooms for tornado and hurricane hazards.
you, your family, or employees can survive a tornado or
Further, the debris impact resistance is based upon
hurricane with little or no injury. To provide protection
the 15-pound 2-inch × 4-inch board missile traveling
for the occupants during extreme windstorms, the horizontally at 100 mph (again, the most restrictive cri-
safe room must be adequately anchored to a proper teria for both tornado and hurricane hazards).
foundation to resist overturning and uplift; even when
For additional design criteria and information for resi-
using the prescriptive designs in this publication, this dential safe rooms, see FEMA P-361.
may require the services of a licensed professional
engineer. Further, the connections between all parts of
the safe room must be strong enough to resist failure,
and the walls, roof, and door must resist perforation by tornado or hurricane can produce wind and wind-
wind-borne debris. borne debris loads on a home or small business that
are much greater than those on which building code
Most homes, even new ones constructed according requirements are based. Only specially designed
to modern building codes, do not provide adequate and constructed safe rooms that are built above the
protection for occupants seeking life-safety protection minimum code requirements of the IBC and IRC
from tornadoes. Homes built to a modern building to the criteria of this publication, FEMA P‑361, or
code in hurricane-prone areas, such as wind-borne the ICC 500, offer life-safety occupant protection
debris regions, better resist wind forces and wind- during a tornado or strong hurricane. The safe room
borne debris impacts from hurricanes. However, a
3. Planning Your Safe Room
designs provided in this publication are based on wind hazards. The designer
speeds that are rarely exceeded in the United States. should also ensure Whenever a safe room
Therefore, a safe room built in accordance with these that the safe room will is constructed using
FEMA grant funds, the
designs is expected to withstand the forces imposed withstand the forces
recommended criteria
on it by extreme winds without failing; this statement of extreme winds and shown in Section 3.2
applies to both materials and connections used within floodwaters in the event become requirements.
the safe room. The intent of the designs is to enable the that the main homes is
safe room occupants to survive an extreme windstorm damaged or destroyed.
with minor or no injuries, not for the safe room to
If your residential tornado safe room is in an area that
remain completely undamaged.
could become flooded during hurricanes, it should not
Predicting the exact strength of tornadoes and be occupied during any hurricane. The installation of
hurricanes is very difficult due to the complex nature any safe room in the hurricane-prone region should
of the storms. That is another reason why the safe room be coordinated with local emergency management and
designs in this publication are based on extreme wind law enforcement personnel to ensure its use during
speeds and why the primary consideration is life safety. extreme wind events is not a violation of any local or
State evacuation plan.
Designing a building, or portion of a building, to
resist damage from more than one natural hazard A residential safe room sited in the Special Flood
requires different, sometimes competing, approaches. Hazard Area (SFHA) should meet the flood-specific
For example, building a structure on an elevated FEMA safe room design criteria listed in Section
foundation to raise it above expected flood levels can 3.2.2. Consult your local building official or local
increase its vulnerability to wind and seismic damage. floodplain manager to determine whether your home,
In flood-prone areas, careful attention should be given small business, or proposed stand-alone safe room
to the warning time, velocity, depth, and duration of site, is susceptible to coastal, riverine, or surface water
floodwaters. These flooding characteristics can have a flooding.
significant bearing on the design and possibly even the
viability of a safe room. These considerations, among 3.2.1 Flood Hazard Siting Criteria
others, should be thoroughly evaluated during the
A residential safe room should be located outside the
design process. Your local building official or licensed
following high hazard areas:
professional engineer or architect can provide you
with information about other natural hazards that • Flood hazard areas subject to high-velocity wave
affect your area and can also recommend appropriate action (Zone V1) and Coastal A Zones (where
foundation designs and connections to resist prevailing mapped)
hazards and conditions in your area. • Floodways
• Any areas subject to storm surge inundation
3.2 Flood Hazard Siting associated with any modeled hurricane Category,
and Elevation including coastal wave effects (where applicable,
these areas should be mapped areas studied by the
A residential safe room should not be placed in any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, or other
of the flood hazard areas listed in Section 3.2.1. qualified agency)
Residential safe rooms located in a flood hazard area
that is not listed in Section 3.2.1 should be elevated per
the criteria listed in Section 3.2.2.
The placement of a safe room in a new or existing

home should be scrutinized with respect to flood 1 For the purpose of this publication, Zone V refers to Zones V, VE, and
V1-30.
FLOOD CRITERIA FOR SAFE ROOMS SOURCES OF FLOOD HAZARD MAPS

IN SMALL BUSINESSES
Flood hazard maps for your area can be obtained from
The flood criteria provided in this publication applies multiple sources, including:
to residential safe rooms. Community safe room de- • FEMA Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov)
signs, including safe rooms installed in residential
• Local or State Emergency Management Agencies
buildings for more than 16 occupants, should refer-
ence the community safe room flood hazard siting and • Floodplain managers (http://www.floods.org)
elevation criteria provided in FEMA P-361. • Local building or zoning department
Where the 1-percent and/or 0.2-percent annual

chance flood elevations have not been determined
3.2.2 Flood Hazard Elevation Criteria by a flood hazard study, those elevations should be
obtained from the authority having jurisdiction or
If it is not possible to place the residential safe room calculated.
outside the SFHA, the residential safe room may be
placed in an area that has been determined to be
in Zone A,2 but still outside the high hazard areas The prescriptive designs presented in this publication
identified in Section 3.2.1. In cases when a residential can only be elevated a few feet above existing grade
safe room is needed in these flood-prone areas, the (see design drawings for specific details and elevation
safe room should be elevated to or above the highest limitations) and, therefore, may not comply with flood
elevation specified below (refer to the appropriate design criteria for residential safe rooms. In such a
Flood Insurance Study or Flood Insurance Rate Map): situation, alternatives would be to: 1) have a structural
• The minimum elevation of the lowest floor engineer design a site-specific foundation for the safe
required by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) room, or 2) in cases where flow velocity and erosion
for the location where the shelter is installed are not expected during design conditions, build an
• The base flood elevation (i.e., the flood elevation exterior weatherproof safe room on a slab-on-grade
having a 1-percent annual chance of being equaled elevated on fill above the flood elevation specified
or exceeded [100-year event]) above. Furthermore, the safe room should not be used
• The flood elevation, including coastal wave effects, if local emergency management officials call for the
having a 0.2-percent annual chance of being evacuation of an area prior to a hurricane event.
equaled or exceeded (500-year event)
• The flood elevation corresponding to the highest 3.3 New versus Existing
recorded flood elevation if a flood hazard study has Homes or Buildings
not been conducted for the area
By constructing a safe room within your home or
small business, you are protecting your family and/or
RESIDENTIAL TORNADO SAFE ROOM employees from extreme wind events. A safe room may
EXCEPTION be installed during the initial construction of a home
Where a residential tornado safe room is designed, or retrofitted afterward. As long as the design and
constructed, and used only as a tornado safe room, construction requirements and guidance are followed,
it does not have to be elevated to the flood elevation, the same level of protection is provided by either type
including coastal wave effects, having a 0.2-percent of safe room. For this discussion, “retrofit” refers to the
annual chance to being equaled or exceeded in any
process of making changes to an existing building.
given year (500-year event).
The safe room designs in this publication were
developed primarily for use in new homes or buildings,
2 For the purpose of this publication, Zone A refers to Zones A, AO,
AH, A1–30, AE, A99, AR, AR/A1–30, AR/AE, AR/AH, and AR/A, but but some can be used in existing buildings. When a
excludes Coastal A Zones.
new home is being built, the builder/contractor can

construct walls, foundations, and other parts of the CONCRETE SLAB-ON-GRADE
home to accommodate the safe room. Modifying the REQUIREMENTS FOR SAFE ROOMS
walls or foundation of an existing home as necessary In addition to requiring any slab used for a storm shel-
for the construction of a safe room is more difficult. ter to be designed and reinforced with steel, ICC 500
As a result, some of the safe room designs in this also requires any storm shelter installed on an existing
publication are not practical for existing homes. slab using post-installed anchors (anchors installed in
concrete that has already hardened) to be subject to
Adding a safe room when first building your home or special inspections.
small business is relatively easy and cost-effective. For
example, when the home is constructed with exterior
walls made from concrete masonry units (CMUs) (also loads from the safe room to the ground, even if they
commonly known as “concrete block”; see Figure 3-1), have some level of reinforcement. Retrofitting these
the protection level in FEMA P-320 can be achieved by slabs is often not feasible, and in many cases a portion
slightly modifying the exterior walls at the safe room of the slab must be cut out where the safe room will be,
space with additional steel reinforcement and grout. and a new, thicker, reinforced slab with footings must
The safe room is easily completed by adding interior be poured for the safe room. Note that some safe rooms
walls constructed of reinforced CMU, a concrete roof may be heavy enough that an existing slab may be used.
deck over the safe room, and a special safe room door, Designers can take advantage of this if the dead load
as shown in Figure 3-2. (weight) of the safe room, without the weight of the
slab, is sufficient to resist the overturning forces on the
Building a safe room in an existing home typically costs
safe room during a design event. This can frequently be
more than building the same safe room in a new home
accomplished when the walls of the safe room are CMU
under construction. When installing a safe room in
or concrete. If you plan on taking advantage of this
an existing home, the adequacy of the foundation is a
circumstance, you should have a licensed professional
primary concern. The vast majority of slab-on-grade
engineer or architect verify that the safe room to be
foundations in homes are not designed to transfer the
constructed does indeed meet these requirements.
Figure 3‑1: Exterior walls constructed of CMUs (New Smyrna Beach, FL, 2007)
Figure 3‑2:
In-home safe room under
construction; the CMU
walls of the safe room are
fully grouted and vertically
reinforced with steel
reinforcing bars from the
foundation to the concrete
roof deck (New Smyrna
Beach, FL, 2007)
3.4 Safe Room Size

The amount of floor area per person that your safe
room must provide depends partly on the type of USABLE SPACE
windstorm from which the safe room is intended to
Consult FEMA P-361 for guidelines on how to iden-
protect you.
tify the net usable floor space and other requirements
for a safe room design. Hard fixtures and furnishings
Tornadoes are not typically long-lasting storms, so if
reduce the square footage within a safe room that is
you are relying on your safe room only for tornado available for protecting occupants.
protection, you will not need to stay in the safe room
for as long as you would for a hurricane. As a result,
more than 16 occupants (regardless of dimensions).

COMMUNITY SAFE ROOMS If you plan to build a residential safe room outside
Safe rooms for small businesses or residential use with the dimensions of the drawings provided in this
more than 16 occupants are Community Safe Rooms publication, or if you plan to have more than 16
that have additional requirements that the designs in occupants in your residential safe room, consult a
this publication do not provide for, including, but not licensed professional engineer or architect. More
limited to, ventilation, sanitation, and fire separation. information on the sizing of safe rooms in the design
drawings is presented in Chapter 4.
comfort is not of a primary concern, and a safe room

that provides at least 3 square feet of floor area per 3.5 Safe Room Locations
person for one- and two-family dwellings should be For tornado-prone areas, you should locate your safe
large enough (note that safe rooms in other residential room so that you can reach it as quickly as possible
host buildings, such as apartment buildings, should from all parts of your home or business, and it should
be afforded at least 5 square feet per person). This be free of clutter. When determining the siting of
allocation of space per occupant also meets the a safe room, also consider the accessibility needs of
minimum sizing requirements set forth in ICC 500 for potential occupants. For example, for occupants who
residential tornado storm shelters. use wheelchairs or crutches, the use of stairs in an in-
When the safe room is intended to provide protection ground safe room may make it difficult to access the
from storms such as hurricanes, which can last for 24 safe room in a short amount of time.
hours or more, the comfort of the occupants should
3.5.1 Siting Your Safe Room: Inside or Outside?
be considered. For a residential hurricane safe room,
the recommended amount of floor area per person While there are a number of potential locations
varies from 7 to 10 square feet, depending on whether to construct a safe room inside of a home or small
the residential hurricane safe room is located in a one- business, a safe room can also be located outside of the
or two-family dwelling or another type of residential building, either as a detached structure (i.e., away from
building such as an apartment building (as long as the the building) or adjacent to the building. Keep in mind
maximum occupancy of the safe room does not exceed that occupants will need to travel to the safe room
16 people). The minimum sizing requirement set forth from the building, which is why ICC 500 requires that
in ICC 500 for residential hurricane shelters is 7 square residential safe rooms be located such that the travel
feet per occupant, while for community shelters 20 distance from the access opening for the safe room to
square feet per occupant is specified for standing or
seated and wheelchair-bound occupants and 40 square
feet per occupant for bed-ridden occupants. Necessities,
such as water and toilet facilities, need to be provided IN-GROUND SAFE ROOMS
in small business safe rooms to maintain compliance
In-ground safe rooms referred to in this publication
with FEMA P-361 criteria and ICC 500 requirements. are slightly different from basement safe rooms be-
cause they are buried underground and surrounded
The safe room designs in this publication have a by soils on all sides. Basement safe rooms are in a
gross area of at least 64 square feet and a minimum basement but are not surrounded by soil on all sides.
wall length of 8 feet (for both tornado and hurricane
In-ground safe rooms are not covered in the de-
hazards). The maximum floor dimensions in the safe
sign drawings because prefabricated in-ground safe
room designs provided in this publication are 14 feet rooms are more common and easily constructed for
× 14 feet square, providing 196 square feet of gross residential applications than site-built in-ground safe
safe room space. As indicated in the Introduction, the rooms. For more information on prefabricated safe
occupant load for residential safe rooms must be no rooms, see Section 4.3.
the nearest entrance of the residence does not exceed

150 feet. Safe rooms located exterior to the home or
business require early access to prevent injuries from
wind and debris. Like interior safe rooms, exterior safe
rooms can be either above- or in-ground. However, if
you are located in a SFHA (as outlined in Section 3.2),
siting the safe room below ground or below the design
flood elevation is not recommended.
While an interior safe room has the benefit of being

closer to the building occupants, an exterior safe
room may be easier to install for an existing home.
An interior safe room constructed in an existing
home would typically require substantial retrofitting.
By contrast, a separate, detached safe room located
outside a home would not require modifications to
the home and can therefore be more affordable and
feasible for existing buildings. These could even be
Figure 3‑3: An above-ground safe room constructed
added onto a new or existing covered porch or patio. as an addition to a slab-on-grade home in a way
Safe rooms located outside of a building also require that matches the aesthetics of the home (outside
exterior weather protection per minimum building Tuscaloosa, AL, 2011)
code requirements. The protection required will
depend on local code requirements as well as the type 3.5.2 Siting a Safe Room Inside a
of material used for the exterior walls and roof. Per ICC Home or Small Business
500, hurricane safe rooms require weather protection
against the design event for any areas of an exposed There are several possible locations within your home
building envelope, but interior residential safe rooms or small business for a safe room. It can be either inside
that are fully enclosed by the host building (i.e., no (within the building footprint) or outside (detached or
portion of the safe room wall or roof is also an exterior adjacent to the existing building), and above-ground,
wall or roof of the building in which the safe room is in-ground, or in a basement. While in-ground safe
located) do not require exterior weather protection. rooms provide the inherent missile protection naturally
Prefabricated versions for both indoor and outdoor safe afforded by the surrounding soil coverage, above-ground
rooms are available and can be more affordable than safe rooms are required to be rigorously tested to ensure
site-built versions. that they can also provide missile impact protection.
Therefore, all properly constructed safe rooms offer
Safe room entrance locations should be considered life safety protection when properly designed and
along with the location of the safe room itself. constructed. This is an important alternative to be
Entrances that are accessible without having to go aware of if you are not able to install a safe room in
outside and be exposed to potential wind and debris your basement or in-ground because of issues such as
are preferable, though may not be feasible in all cases. flood hazards, naturally high groundwater tables, or the
Safe rooms placed adjacent to the main building could physical abilities of potential occupants at your site.
have an entrance directly into the safe room from the
main building, or it could have an entrance from the Researchers, emergency response personnel, and people
outside as shown in Figure 3-3. cleaning up after tornadoes have often found small,
interior rooms of a home or small business still standing
when all other above-ground parts of the home or small
business have been destroyed (see Figure 3-4).
Figure 3‑4: Core remnants of homes sometimes survive a tornado as shown in these photographs of site-built homes
where a closet (red arrow in left photograph) and a bathroom behind a kitchen (red arrow in right photograph)
remained standing after an EF4 tornado (Tuscaloosa, AL, 2011)
Regardless of where in your home or small business remain standing if your home or small business is
you build your safe room, the walls and ceiling of the severely damaged by extreme winds (see Figure 3-5).
safe room must be built so that they will protect you, Closets, bathrooms, and small storage rooms offer the
your family, or employees from wind-borne and falling advantage of having a function other than providing
debris, be anchored to an adequate foundation, and occasional storm protection. Typically, these rooms
have only one door and no windows, which makes them
well suited to also be a safe room in addition to their
regular function. Bathrooms have the added advantage
of including a water supply and toilet. If sections of
your home’s or small business’ walls are used as safe
room walls, those wall sections must be designed for the
wind pressure and debris impact resistance outlined
in FEMA P-361. Similarly, if you construct a safe room
on the first floor of a building above a basement, the
structure below the safe room that carries the loads
down to the foundation must be capable of resisting
the same wind loads as the safe room. As outlined in
ICC 500, any connections between the safe room and
host building must be designed to resist higher loads
than minimum building code requirements. This is to
ensure the structural integrity of the safe room, should
the rest of the structure fail or be compromised during
an extreme wind event.
Figure 3‑5: Above-ground residential safe room that was

in the garage of a home hit by an EF5 tornado in Joplin,
MO (2011)
3.6 Floor Plans Showing Possible 3.6.2 Floor Plan 2: Safe Rooms on the Primary
Level of a Home or Small Business
Safe Room Locations
Possible safe room locations in a home on a slab-on-
This section shows four typical floor plans with possible
grade or crawlspace foundation are shown in Figure 3-7
locations for safe rooms. These are not floor plans
and include the following spaces on the first floor:
developed specifically for homes with safe rooms;
rather, they show how safe rooms can be added without • Bathroom
changing the layout of rooms. Regardless of where the • Closet
safe room is built, it must be equipped with a door that
• Laundry room (provided the load-bearing wall
has been tested and certified to the appropriate criteria
between it and the garage, as shown in Figure 3-7,
and will resist the wind pressure and impact of wind-
can be properly strengthened or separated from
borne debris. See Section 3.9 for more information on
the structure of the home)
selecting a door for your safe room.
• Corner of the garage
3.6.1 Floor Plan 1: Basement • Outside within 150 feet travel distance from the
Possible safe room locations in a basement are shown in home
Figure 3‑6 and include the following:
3.6.3 Floor Plan 3: In-Ground Safe Rooms
• A space using one or more exterior walls of the
basement Possible locations for an in-ground safe room are
shown in Figure 3-8 and include the following:
• A freestanding structure within the basement (not
using the basement walls) • Below the home
• Below the floor of the garage
A space that is to be used for a safe room must be kept
free of clutter so that the safe room can be quickly and • Below ground within 150 feet travel distance from
easily entered and so that the safe room occupants the home
will not be injured by falling objects. For this reason, a
bathroom is often a better choice for a safe room than
a closet or other space used for storage. Basements are
not suitable locations for safe rooms when there is a
flood hazard risk present. For more information on
flood hazards to consider, please see Section 3.2.
Figure 3‑6: Floor Plan 1: Possible safe room locations in Figure 3‑7: Floor Plan 2: Home on a slab-on-grade or
a basement crawlspace foundation
Figure 3‑8: Floor Plan 3: Possible in-ground safe room

locations in a home without a basement
When deciding whether to choose an in-ground

safe room, make sure the potential for flooding is
considered (see Section 3.2 for more information).
Also note that for safe rooms located in garages, any
potential obstacles (such as a parked car) should be Figure 3‑9: Floor Plan 4: Multipurpose safe room
locations in a fire station
considered as well as the possible need to reinforce
the garage floor in order to park a car. In the event of
a tornado, the safe room user may be blocked from opening (an additional door or other opening) for
entering and exiting the safe room. storm shelters with more than 16 occupants, when the
applicable building code only requires one exit door.
3.6.4 Floor Plan 4: Multipurpose Safe
Rooms in a Small Business 3.6.5 Selection of Safe Room Type and Location
Small businesses can use prescriptive safe room designs Table 3-1 will help you decide what type of safe room
for multipurpose safe rooms. Figure 3-9 illustrates some is appropriate for your circumstances. The top section
potential locations for a safe room in a fire station. applies to the construction of safe rooms in new
The area used for a conference room or other purpose homes or buildings. The bottom section provides
can also be adapted for life-safety protection, provided considerations for retrofit situations, in which a safe
the equipment and fixtures placed in the safe room room is being added to an existing home or building.
can be removed quickly and efficiently. When placing
Table 3-2 will also help you consider the options of
safe rooms in buildings larger than typical residential
connections to a home (or small business), exposure
structures, the layout should be designed so that the
(above or below ground), construction type,
safe room is quickly accessible from other areas on the
applicability to new or existing buildings, and access
floor. FEMA P-361 and ICC 500 provide additional
(depending on whether the safe room is inside or
requirements that apply to community safe rooms, such
outside of the building). The right-most column in the
as ventilation, fire protection, sanitation, and minimum
table also indicates whether this publication has a safe
usable area per occupant. Although an emergency
room prescriptive solution that applies to this type of
escape opening is not required in FEMA P-361 or
safe room.
ICC 500 for safe rooms with less than 16 occupants,
Section 501.2 of ICC 500 requires an emergency escape
Table 3.1 Appropriate Types of Safe Rooms for New and Existing Homes and Buildings
APPROPRIATE SAFE ROOM TYPE
SAFE ROOM CONSIDERATIONS (NEW HOMES OR BUILDINGS) BASEMENT IN-GROUND1 ABOVE-GROUND
House or building located in a storm surge area
House or building located in a flood hazard area 2
High water table
Low cost
Long-term safe room occupancy comfort
Least likely to be hit or impacted by wind-borne debris
Ease of accessibility (pre- and post-event)
APPROPRIATE SAFE ROOM TYPE

SAFE ROOM CONSIDERATIONS (EXISTING HOMES OR BUILDINGS) BASEMENT IN-GROUND1 ABOVE-GROUND
House or building located in a storm surge area
House or building located in a flood hazard area 2
High water table
Low cost
Long-term safe room occupancy comfort
Least likely to be hit or impacted by wind-borne debris
Ease of separating safe room from structural framing of house
or building
Minimal disruption to house or building
Ease of accessibility (pre- and post-event)
Favorable Some concerns Unfavorable Not appropriate
1 This publication does not contain any designs for site-built in-ground safe rooms, as prefabricated in-ground safe rooms are typically more
constructible and affordable.
2 Per flood design criteria for FEMA safe rooms (see Section 3.2), elevation of a safe room is only permitted when specific
flood design criteria have been met and when approved by the jurisdictional authority responsible for evacuations and
NFIP compliance.
Table 3-2: Construction, Applicability, and Access for Safe Rooms

CONSTRUCTION APPLICABILITY ACCESS FEMA P-320
CONNECTION SITE- NEW EXISTING INSIDE OUTSIDE SAFE ROOM
TO HOME EXPOSURE PREFABRICATED BUILT HOME HOME HOME HOME APPLICATIONS
Above ground Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Detached
In ground Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Below In ground Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
In basement Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Inside
Above ground Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Attached Above ground Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
3.7 Foundation Type In a new home with a basement, the safe room is often
built in the basement. You can build the safe room as
Homes and other buildings vary in construction type an entirely separate structure with its own walls, or you
as well as foundation type. Buildings may have heavy can use one or more of the basement walls as walls of
wall systems, such as masonry or concrete, or they may the safe room (see Figure 3-10). Vertical and horizontal
have light wall systems, such as wood framing, metal surfaces with sufficient soil cover do not have to be
stud framing, or structural insulated panels. Regardless tested for resistance to debris impact (see Chapter B3
of the structure type noted above, the following types of FEMA P-361 for more information), though they
of foundations may be suitable for the installation of a still need to be able to resist the extreme wind loads.
safe room: Typical reinforcement techniques used in existing
• Basement residential basement walls will not provide sufficient
resistance to extreme wind loads. For new construction,
• Slab-on-grade with footings and reinforcement
your builder/contractor can reinforce the walls used for
• Crawlspace or pile (however, prescriptive solutions the safe room. For existing construction, reinforcing
for pile foundations are not included in this the walls is often not feasible and where possible is
publication) typically cost-prohibitive.
The likelihood of wind-borne debris entering the

BASEMENT WALLS
basement is lower than for above-ground spaces;
Reinforcement used in typical basement walls for nor-
mal use will not provide sufficient resistance for safe
rooms. In order to economically utilize basement walls
as part of a safe room, the safe room should be in-
tegrated into the design and construction process
during the new construction phase.
3.7.1 Basement Foundation Applications
A home on a basement foundation is usually built on

a foundation constructed of cast-in-place concrete
or CMUs. Existing foundation walls will likely not
meet the requirements for a safe room. The framing
for the floor above the basement is supported by the
exterior foundation walls and sometimes by beams or
interior walls.
EXISTING SPACES
When determining whether an existing wall, founda-
tion, or roof can be used for a safe room, the specific
existing configuration must be carefully evaluated
to determine its capacity. The proposed safe room
should be planned as a structurally separate space
to prevent it from relying on existing components that
were designed to provide much lower levels of perfor-
mance. Any existing building elements that would be
structurally relied upon by the safe room would likely Figure 3‑10: Cross section: Typical new construction
need to be replaced. basement foundation with safe room (reinforcement
shown for illustrative purposes only)
however, a basement safe room should still be designed plan to add a basement safe room as a retrofitting
to resist the extreme wind pressures that an above- project, keep the following in mind:
ground safe room would need to resist. The safe room • You must be able to clear out an area of the
designs provided in this publication considered that basement large enough for the safe room.
loading from debris may be experienced by the safe
• Unless the exterior basement walls contain
rooms when a surrounding structure collapses during
adequate reinforcement as shown on the design
an extreme wind event. The roof decks of these safe
drawings provided with this publication, these walls
rooms are designed to limit the damage that may be
cannot be used as safe room walls because they are
induced from these debris sources; therefore, the
not reinforced to resist damage from wind-borne
existing first floor of a home would not be adequate
debris and extreme winds uplifting the home’s
to also serve as the roof of the safe room unless it
floor structure above.
has been designed to the criteria in FEMA P-361.
Although the building may collapse around the safe • Exterior basement walls that are used as safe room
room, installing the safe room in the basement is still walls must not contain windows, doors, or other
appropriate if it is designed and constructed to perform openings in the area providing protection unless
independently of the structure that surrounds it. they are protected with an appropriate protective
device or are designed to resist the debris impact
In addition to the roof and exterior walls, the and pressure associated with safe room design.
foundation of a basement safe room should be
• The roof of the safe room must be designed to
adequate to resist the overturning and uplift forces
resist the wind pressures and debris impact forces.
of an extreme wind event. If the basement has an
unreinforced or insufficiently reinforced slab of
3.7.2 Slab-on-Grade Applications
typical thickness (approximately 4 inches), there may
not be enough dead load in the safe room to resist A slab-on-grade home or commercial building
these forces. In general, adding a basement safe room (see Figure 3‑11) is built on a concrete slab that
during the construction of a new home is easier than is constructed on compacted or undisturbed soil.
retrofitting the basement of an existing home. If you
Figure 3‑11:
Cross section: Typical slab-
on-grade foundation
with safe room
(reinforcement shown for
illustrative purposes only)
Concrete slabs require steel reinforcement (as required

in ICC 500) to prevent cracking and to resist the SOIL CHARACTERISTICS
tension resulting from extreme wind loads acting While heavier safe rooms, such as those constructed
on the safe room. If you are building a new slab-on- of concrete and CMU, are more likely to resist forces
grade home and want to install a safe room (of any imparted by extreme wind pressures, a local design
material or type), FEMA recommends that the slab professional may need to verify that the soil will be
or foundation beneath the safe room be adequately able to carry the weight of the safe room.
reinforced and be thickened or have footings to ensure

proper support and resistance to all loads (gravity and
wind loads). A licensed design professional will help You can also build a safe room as an addition to the
provide these details. The thickened slab will act as a outside of a slab-on-grade home (as shown in Figure
footing beneath the walls of the safe room to provide 3-3). This type of safe room must not only have proper
structural support. It will also help anchor the safe footings, but also exterior weather protection (for more
room so that it will stay in place during an extreme information on exterior safe rooms, see Section 3.5.1).
wind event, even if the rest of the home is destroyed. In general, adding a safe room during the construction
of a new slab-on-grade home is easier than retrofitting
In an existing home, removing part of the slab and an existing slab-on-grade home. If you plan to add a
replacing it with a thickened section or footing to safe room to a slab-on-grade home as a retrofitting
support a safe room would involve some disruption project, keep the following in mind:
inside the home. Building a safe room, particularly
• The walls of the safe room must be completely
with lightweight wood-framed walls, in an existing slab-
separate from the structure of the home unless the
on-grade home may not be practical unless a new slab
existing walls have adequate reinforcement or are
is poured or the existing slab can be shown to have
reinforced as part of the retrofit to meet the safe
reinforcement and thickness adequate to support the
room criteria.
safe room. If steel reinforcement in an existing slab is
present and documented, the designs provided in these 3.7.3 Crawlspace or Pile Applications
plans may be retrofitted to certain reinforced slabs.
A home built on a crawlspace (see Figure 3-12) usually
In some cases, heavy safe rooms that do not require has a floor constructed of wood framing. Along its
the dead load of the slab for resistance may be installed perimeter, the floor is supported by the exterior
on existing slabs, as discussed in Section 3.3. Lighter foundation walls. The interior part of the floor is
safe rooms may require more dead load (weight of supported by beams that rest on a foundation wall
the structure and slab or foundation) to resist uplift, or individual piers. Crawlspace foundation walls may
overturning, and sliding forces. This dead load can be be concrete, but are usually constructed of CMU
attained by installing a thickened slab foundation or blocks. They are often unreinforced and provide little
footings under the walls of the safe room. Whenever an resistance to the stresses caused by extreme winds.
existing slab is used as the foundation for a safe room,
ICC 500 requires a Special Inspection be provided Building a safe room inside a home on an existing
to review and verify the following: 1) engineering crawlspace foundation is very complicated. The main
calculations proving the adequacy of the existing slab reason is that the entire safe room, including its floor,
to resist the applicable loads, 2) the minimum required must be separate from the framing of the home or,
thickness of the slab, 3) the presence of required alternatively, the entire floor system and foundation of
reinforcing steel, and 4) the installation and capacity of the home must be constructed to support the extreme
the safe room anchors. Where a thicker or reinforced wind loads acting on the safe room. In Figure 3-12,
foundation is needed, the existing slab should be cut a safe room is built inside the home or commercial
out around the perimeter of the safe room, and a mat- building without using the floor system of the structure
slab or footings and slab should be installed. itself. In this option, the safe room has a separate
Figure 3‑12:
Cross-section: Typical crawlspace
foundation with safe room
(reinforcement shown for illustrative
purposes only)
concrete slab floor installed on top of compacted earth • The safe room must have a separate foundation.
fill and must be supported by steel reinforced concrete Building the foundation inside the home would
or CMU foundation walls. The floor system may be require cutting out a section of the existing floor
designed as open and elevated, but that design option and installing new foundation members, fill dirt,
is difficult to develop a prescriptive solution for and, and a new slab—a complicated and expensive
therefore, is not addressed in this publication. An operation that is often not practical.
alternative approach, which may be more economical, • A more practical and more economical approach
is to build an exterior safe room on a reinforced slab- would be to build an exterior safe room, made of
on-grade foundation adjacent to an outside wall of the concrete or concrete masonry, on a slab-on-grade
home and provide access through a door installed in foundation adjacent to an outside wall of the home,
that wall. as described above.
Ventilation in the area below the floor of the home is
also an important issue. The wood-framed floor of a 3.8 Construction Materials
home on a crawlspace foundation is typically held 18 to
30 inches above the ground by the foundation walls for Extensive testing by wind engineering research facilities
compliance with the building code. The space below has shown that walls, ceilings, and doors commonly
the floor is designed to allow air to flow through so used to meet minimum building code requirements
that the floor framing will not become too damp. This for standard building construction cannot withstand
air flow must not be blocked by the installation of the extreme wind pressures or the impact of debris carried
safe room. by these extreme winds. The safe room designs in this
publication account for these findings by specifying
In general, building a safe room inside a new building materials or combinations of building
crawlspace home is easier than building a safe room in materials that will resist wind forces and perforation by
an existing crawlspace home. If you plan to add a safe debris in extreme winds.
room to an existing crawlspace home as a retrofitting
project, keep the following in mind:
3.9 Safe Room Doors

SAFE ROOM MATERIALS
Like any other room, safe rooms must be accessed
The materials your builder/contractor will need to
build your safe room should be available from building
through an opening or door. Just as the walls and roof
material suppliers in your community. These materials of a safe room are designed and built to protect against
have been carefully selected for their strength, dura- extreme winds and wind-borne debris, so must the safe
bility, and/or ability to be readily combined in ways room door and assembly. The door assembly includes
that enable them to withstand the forces of extreme the door, hardware (locks and hinges), frame, and
winds and the impact of wind-borne debris. Your
attachment devices used to anchor the door frame to
builder/contractor should not substitute any other ma-
terial for those specified in the designs.
the surrounding safe room wall. When careful selection
and installation of the safe room door assembly is
overlooked, a door failure can leave occupants at great
risk of injury or death during a tornado or hurricane.
Since the first edition of FEMA P-320 was released in Steel doors commonly used in residential and
1998, many tornado events have occurred, highlighting commercial construction cannot withstand the impact
the importance of installing safe rooms in homes or of the wind-borne debris or wind pressures. There is a
small businesses. Individuals and companies began common misconception that a steel “storm door” with
designing safe rooms to provide alternatives to the three locks and three hinges can provide life-safety
prescriptive solutions presented here. As a result, a protection on a safe room, but it cannot. Only door
residential safe room industry has evolved. assemblies designed and tested to resist debris impacts
and wind pressures can provide near-absolute life-
Many of the safe room products are designed and safety protection. One way to ensure the product you
constructed as prefabricated units. These prefabricated purchase is certified to the appropriate criteria is to
units are constructed from a variety of materials, look for a label from an approved testing agency.3
such as metal panels, concrete, fiberglass shells,
and many more. These other safe room types use Prospective safe room owners should understand that
common building materials or new innovations from FEMA does not verify or certify design calculations for
the building industry. The design drawings in this any product. FEMA does not endorse, approve, certify,
publication provide prescriptive solutions for site-built or recommend any contractors, individuals, firms, or
safe rooms and specify the construction materials for products. Contractors, individuals, or firms shall not
the various safe room types. However, safe room doors claim they or their products are “FEMA approved” or
are not included in the prescriptive designs and must “FEMA certified.”
also comply with the debris impact and pressure test
criteria that are discussed further in Section 3.9. 3.9.1 What Should You Look for in a Door?
The most important aspect when purchasing a door

assembly for your safe room is that it has been tested to
PREFABRICATED SAFE ROOMS the missile impact and pressure test criteria as specified
in FEMA P-361 and ICC 500. The residential safe room
Additional information regarding prefabricated safe
door criteria are described in Chapter B3 of FEMA
rooms is presented in the Consumer Guide in Chapter
4 of this publication. P-361. These criteria require a missile impact test using
a 15-pound 2-inch × 4-inch wood board traveling at
Remember that, as with site-built safe rooms and
100 mph for vertical surfaces (such as a door or wall)
shelters, prefabricated shelters must be attached
to an appropriate foundation. A structural engineer
and 67 mph for horizontal surfaces (such as a roof).
should always be consulted to ensure that the prefab- Pressure testing on door assemblies is also required;
ricated shelter is being installed on an appropriate and
adequate foundation.
3 For more information on approved testing agencies, please contact
your local building official or AHJ.
door assemblies used for tornado safe rooms must

undergo a static pressure test, while door assemblies WHERE TO BUY A TESTED SAFE ROOM DOOR
used for hurricane safe rooms must undergo both static Tested door assemblies are typically not available
and cyclical pressure tests. FEMA P-361 references ICC off the shelf in most home improvement stores, but
500 for test procedures. FEMA P-361 criteria maintain can be purchased through commercial building prod-
that residential safe rooms should be designed to 250 uct suppliers or safe room/storm shelter component
mph. It is imperative to confirm that the hardware suppliers. Texas Tech University testing facility and
Underwriters Laboratories maintain a list of safe room
supplied with the door is identical to the hardware used
doors (product names and suppliers) that have passed
during testing. If substitutions are made, the door may testing. For more information, see the “Resources”
fail during a tornado. section of the Fact Sheet in Appendix B.
Door assemblies are produced by manufacturers that

subscribe to the standards of the Steel Door Institute,
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
the Door and Hardware Institute, and/or the American
Architectural Manufacturers Association. Being well When installing a safe room door, be sure to follow
informed is important when determining whether the manufacturer’s installation instructions precisely.
The installation instructions should direct you to install
a door assembly has been tested to the appropriate
the door and frame attachments the same way the as-
criteria. Some door producers indicate their products
sembly has been tested or evaluated by a building or
are “storm doors”; safe room owners and builders engineering professional, based on representative test
should be aware that these products are not tested to data. If the installation instructions are not followed,
the high level required for safe room doors. If you are the safe room door may not perform as expected.
unsure of the structural adequacy of a safe room door
product, ask the producer to provide the listing or
certification documentation for the product. Although local building official or AHJ to help verify that the
listing or certification documents may be technical requirements have been met. Tested door assemblies
and difficult to read, being aware of the required are typically not available off the shelf in most home
missile size and speed, and the requirement for a improvement stores, but can be purchased through
pressure test, allows you to verify that the product has commercial building product supplies or safe room
been appropriately tested. If you still have questions component suppliers.
about a door product’s test status, speak with your
Door testing is conducted by approved agencies.
Tested product literature should bear the name of
INWARD VERSUS OUTWARD DOOR SWING the laboratory and the test protocol to which the
door assembly was tested. A door assembly includes
A common misconception about safe room doors is
that they must swing in a particular direction, inward the door, frame, locking hardware, and hinges, as
or outward. Per ICC 500, the pressure testing on a well as the method of installation. Components of a
door must be conducted away from the door stop, tested assembly are not interchangeable with another
meaning that the door is tested in the weakest condi- door and frame without testing. One method of
tion regardless of being in-swinging or out-swinging. demonstrating compliance is through labeling by third
Additionally, a door must undergo the impact re- parties, such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories). The
sistance test in the same configuration as it will be label indicates the criteria to which the door has been
installed. designed and tested. While there is no universal format
Beyond code requirements, both inward and outward for safe room door labels, a representative example
swinging doors have benefits. For example, inward is shown in Figure 3-13. The information includes
swinging doors are less likely to be blocked by debris, the standards to which the product was tested, the
and outward swinging doors provide for more space
pressures, and the missile impact criteria. Regardless of
within the safe room.
the format, a label should disclose all of these criteria.
3.9.2 Why Does the Door Cost So Much?
Prospective safe room owners are often surprised at

the high cost of properly designed and tested safe
room door assemblies. Market research shows that
Figure 3-13: Example door label for a product that has properly tested residential safe room door assemblies
been tested to safe room criteria
can be significantly more expensive than regular
doors. However, purchasing an inadequate door
FEMA recommends only windows and doors that compromises the protection provided by the safe
have adequately passed the ICC 500 testing protocol room. Openings in the safe room (e.g., doors, windows)
and FEMA P-361 criteria to be used in a safe room. are the most vulnerable portions of the safe room.
Products that meet this protocol to FEMA P-361 debris Doors must provide the same level of protection as the
criteria will have a test report that can be requested walls and roof, but must also be operable. The strength
from the builder, designer, or manufacturer. of the safe room door hinges, the latch and handle
assembly, and the connection of the door frame into
In addition to sufficient testing, consider the following the wall all require significant research and testing in
characteristics for a safe room door assembly: order to develop a door system that will resist the wind
pressures and wind-borne debris created by high wind
• The door should be easily unlocked and opened to
events. Failure of the door can mean the failure of the
allow quick access into the safe room.
entire safe room, particularly for small, single-room
• The door should be easily locked with minimal safe rooms, where occupants taking refuge are in close
effort from inside the safe room. proximity to the door and would be at great risk if the
door fails. A safe room that is otherwise designed to
• The door should also meet all applicable building the life-safety criteria provided in FEMA P-361, but
code requirements. with a substandard door, will not offer the same level
Post-disaster assessments after past tornado events, of protection to occupants, and could lead to serious
such as FEMA P-908, Mitigation Assessment Team Report – injuries and even death.
Spring 2011 Tornadoes: April 25-28 and May 22 (2012), Prefabricated and tested safe rooms are often priced
have indicated potential door issues with latching lower than site-built safe rooms and typically include
mechanisms (either non-compliant latches or bolts, or a door. For more information on prefabricated safe
mechanisms that were easily damaged by debris) that rooms, please see Section 4.3.
trapped safe room occupants. Additionally, excessive
door gaps, particularly below the door, have been
observed in safe room doors, potentially allowing for 3.10 Safe Room Cost
smaller wind-borne debris to enter the space.
When designed and constructed per the specifications
within these design plans, the residential safe rooms
included in this publication meet or exceed the
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON design requirements for tornadoes and hurricanes as
TORNADO SAFE ROOM DOORS
identified in ICC 500. Prefabricated shelters are also
For more information and guidance on finding an ade- available for installation by a builder/contractor, but
quate door for your tornado safe room, please see the are not addressed in the design drawings.
Tornado Safe Room Door Fact Sheet in Appendix B of
this publication. The basic cost to design and construct a safe room
as shown in the design drawings of this publication
during the construction of a new home ranges from
approximately $8,000 to $9,500 for an 8-foot × 8-foot
safe room and between $14,000 and $17,000 for a Prefabricated Safe Rooms
14-foot × 14-foot safe room.4 In general, safe rooms
Prefabricated safe rooms typically cost less than site-
installed in existing homes will be more expensive than
built safe rooms and are available in smaller sizes
those done during new construction. The cost of your
than the sizes provided in the design drawings of
safe room will vary accordingly depending on a variety
this publication. A small, 10-square-foot, residential
of factors, including:
prefabricated safe room may cost as little as $3,000.
• Size of the safe room Prefabricated safe rooms that are 8 feet × 8 feet
• Type of safe room (CMU, concrete, wood, insulated are typically comparable to the site-built safe room
concrete form [ICF], combination) approximate costs provided above. Installation costs
• Location of the safe room for prefabricated safe rooms may vary depending on
the distance that the installer has to travel to deliver
• Number of exterior home walls used in the
the safe room and any foundation or geotechnical work
construction of the safe room
that may be required to install the safe room on an
• Type of door used adequate foundation.
• Type of foundation on which your home is built
• Your location within the United States (because of
regional variations in labor and material costs)
• Whether you are building a safe room into a new
home or retrofitting an existing home
• Any added amenities (e.g., bathroom fixtures)
4 These costs are estimated ranges for the designs as shown in the
prescriptive solutions in this publication. Actual costs may vary as a
result of regional variations in cost, changes in material or labor costs,
or other factors. Estimates of safe room designs for each construction
type were developed using industry-accepted cost-estimating
guides and are provided in 2013 dollars. These values do not include
amenities or any modifications or additional features not shown in the
design drawings.
CHAPTER 4
Building Your Safe Room
Y
our builder/contractor can use the design These designs may also serve as a starting point for
drawings provided in this publication to build a safe rooms installed in small businesses, but those
safe room for your home. The design drawings safe rooms would also have to meet requirements
provided include the details for building four types applicable to community storm shelters in ICC 500.
of safe rooms: concrete, concrete masonry, wood- See Section 4.2 for additional requirements that apply
frame, and insulated concrete form. If constructed to community safe rooms and storm shelters. Any
according to the provided design drawings, each of alterations to the sizes, material types, or spacing
these alternatives is expected to resist failures caused by specified in the safe room drawings should be
extreme winds and wind-borne debris. reviewed by a licensed design professional.
The materials and connections were chosen for their The attached Safe Room Construction Plans include:
“ultimate strength,” which means that the materials are • Design drawings and details
expected to resist the loads imposed on them until they
• General design notes and fastener and hardware
or the connections between them fail. The intent of the
schedules
designs is to enable the safe room occupants to survive
an extreme windstorm with minor or no injuries, not If you or your builder/contractor have questions
for the safe room to remain completely undamaged. about the design drawings in this publication, call the
The safe room itself may need to be extensively FEMA Safe Room helpline at 866-927-2104 or email
repaired or completely replaced after an extreme wind [email protected] for technical guidance.
event.
The safe room size and materials specified in the 4.1 Design Drawings
drawings are based on principles and practices used by
structural engineering professionals and the results of Table 4-1 identifies the sheet number, drawing number,
extensive testing for effects of missile impacts and wind and title of safe room design drawings included in this
pressures. Typical and maximum dimensions have been publication.
provided on the drawings. The safe rooms have been
evaluated for and comply with the design criteria in
FEMA P-361 and the standard requirements set forth in
ICC 500 for residential storm shelters.
4. Building Your Safe Room
Table 4‑1: Design Drawings Index • Decide the number of occupants and size of the
DRAWING NO. TITLE safe room (see Section 3.4 for floor space per
occupant). Using this information, determine the
SR0.0 Index Sheet required ventilation at 4 inches per person for
hurricane residential safe rooms, and 2 inches
SR0.1 General Notes per person for tornado residential safe rooms
(see SR2.2 in the design drawings for more
SR0.2 General Notes information). The sizing of the safe room (for plan
outer dimensions) may range from 8 feet × 8 feet
SR0.3 Tables to 14 feet × 14 feet, with any combination therein
(the maximum ratio of width to length is 8 feet ×
SR1.0 CMU Safe Room Plans and Details
14 feet). For wood-framed safe rooms of any size,
the door should be located on the longest wall.
SR1.1 Concrete Safe Room Plans and Details
Note that inner dimensions will differ based on the
material type selected.
SR1.2 ICF Safe Room Plans and Details
Wood Frame Safe Room Plans and • Determine the flood siting and elevation
SR1.3
Details requirements for your safe room (see Section 3.2
for more information).
SR1.4 Wood Frame Safe Room with CMU Infill
• The safe room design drawings were developed for
Details for Safe Rooms That Use
SR1.5 a maximum wall height of 8 feet.
Basement Walls
SR2.1 Sheathing Requirements • Drawings should not be scaled to determine

dimensions.
SR2.2 Exhaust/Ventilation Details
• Before construction begins, all necessary building
permits should be obtained. The homeowner
or contractor (or licensed design professional if
4.2 How to Use the Drawings applicable) should meet with the local code official
Follow the guidelines below in using the design to discuss any concerns the building official may
drawings included in this publication: have regarding the safe room design.
• The prescriptive plans provided in this publication • If the drawings conflict with local codes, the local
are not intended to be a substitute for the codes should govern. If this occurs, a licensed
involvement of a licensed design professional. Due design professional in the State in which the safe
to the intended function of these structures and room is to be installed should analyze the conflict
site-specific conditions that need to be addressed, it and design alterations if needed to ensure that the
is FEMA’s recommendation that a licensed design life-safety protection provided by the safe room is
professional be involved. not reduced. The resistance of structural, wall, and
roof systems should not be compromised for the
• When required for a grant or by your AHJ, the design event because that would reduce the level
design drawings may need to bear the seal and of protection of the safe room. Note that these
signature of a licensed design professional. designs meet or exceed structural building code
requirements found in the IRC and IBC.
• Consult a licensed design professional if
modifications are made to these plans to verify that • The plans do not take into account the different
the modified plans still meet or exceed the design multi-use occupancies that a safe room space could
criteria of FEMA P-361. also be used for. Particularly when a safe room is
used in a non-residential application, there are a an endorsement of those manufacturers and/or

number of other uses regulated by the building their products.
code that could invoke higher non-structural
• Prospective owners of safe rooms may want to
requirements than are covered in this publication
consider additional amenities that are not covered
and FEMA P-361. For example, the amount of
in the design drawings, but that would add
space afforded to each occupant may be higher
measures of convenience to the safe room. These
depending on the non-safe room type of use
include power outlets (to keep phones charged or
that the area is intended for. In such instances, a
power clock radios, for example), installed lighting,
licensed design professional should be contacted to
phone jacks and wired phones, ceiling fan, or
interpret the requirements and modify the design
built-in bench seating, among other items. Some
as needed.
of these amenities would require the consultation
• If you are installing your residential safe room for a of a licensed design professional, particularly any
type other than 1- and 2-family dwellings, ICC 500 amenities that would require modification to the
requires 1 toilet to be provided. design drawings.
• If there is a conflict among the general notes, • When you have selected your safe room type and
specifications, and plans provided in this size, indicate on the floor plan where your Design
publication, the most stringent criteria should Information Sign will be located. The sign should
apply. indicate the name of the manufacturer or builder,
storm type(s) (hurricane, tornado, or combined),
• Whenever an existing slab is used as the foundation
and design wind speed.
for a safe room, ICC 500 requires a Special
Inspection be provided to review and verify the 4.2.1 Additional Requirements for Community
following: 1) engineering calculations proving the Safe Rooms (Serving Small Businesses
adequacy of the existing slab to resist the applicable or More Than 16 Residential Occupants)
loads, 2) the minimum required thickness of the
slab, 3) the presence of required reinforcing steel, For community applications (such as safe rooms serving
and 4) the installation and capacity of the safe more than 16 residential occupants, or serving small
room anchors. businesses), additional detailing and considerations
must be made when using the drawings provided in
• The safe room design drawings do not show the this publication. A safe room installed within a small
fixtures that may be incorporated into a multiuse business must meet the criteria for community safe
safe room, such as the toilet or sink in a bathroom. rooms, not residential. Additional requirements for
Modifications to add these features should be community safe rooms can be found in both FEMA
designed and installed in a way that will not affect P-361 and ICC 500. Design criteria that have different
the ability of the safe room to resist the design wind requirements for community safe rooms include the
pressure and debris impact. following:
• Because not all contractors are familiar with Flood elevation and siting. Community safe
the type of structural connectors shown in the rooms have different restrictions on siting, as well
drawings, the names of two companies that as different criteria for flood elevations. Please see
manufacture connectors have been included in the FEMA P-361 for community safe room flood siting
Connector Schedule on Sheet SR0.3 of the design and elevation criteria.
drawings. The list of companies is not, however,
exhaustive. Additionally, this list is not intended to Fire protection. ICC 500 requires that community
express a preference for those manufacturers and/ storm shelters be provided with a 2-hour fire
or their products by the U.S. Government nor is it resistance rating.
Sanitation facilities. Both FEMA P-361 and ICC or moderate seismicity should contact a licensed
500 require sanitation facilities (i.e., toilets and design professional for seismic load and detailing
hand-washing facilities) for community safe rooms. considerations. This would include essential
facilities such as fire, rescue, and police stations.
Emergency escape opening. An emergency escape
opening, in addition to the normal egress, is 4.2.2 Seismic Risks
sometimes required for community safe rooms.
In some locations around the United States, the risk
Usable square footage. Both FEMA P-361 and ICC of seismic events may be substantial enough that the
500 have requirements for usable square footage building code may require seismic detailing to be on
per occupant that are different compared to the plans, and may even create a situation where the
residential. More space per occupant is required for code-required seismic loads would be greater than
community safe rooms. the wind loads applied to the safe room. This could
trigger additional requirements for wall reinforcement,
Emergency lighting provisions. Emergency
connection details, and foundations, and the need
lighting is required for community safe rooms
to prepare a geotechnical report. For residential safe
(tornado and hurricane). Also note that ICC 500
rooms, if your location is in a region of High seismicity
requires standby lighting for community hurricane
on the map shown in Figure 4-1, you should consult
safe rooms.
a licensed design professional about seismic loads
Signage criteria. Requirements for community safe and any required detailing on the plans. The design
room signage differ from residential criteria. professional should be licensed in the State where you
are located and, if necessary, make any modifications
Ventilation criteria. Community safe rooms have
to ensure that the safe room meets or exceeds the wind
higher venting area per occupant requirements
and flood design criteria in FEMA P-361, as well as the
than residential safe rooms.
seismic requirements for the location.
Atmospheric pressure change. FEMA P-361
Please keep in mind as you consider your risk to
recommends the partially enclosed classification
seismic activity that locally adopted codes may
for residential, but community safe rooms may
have varying requirements. As with all design and
use ASCE 7 (ASCE, 2010) to determine enclosure
construction matters, please work with your local
classification using the guidance provided in both
building department and all other authorities
FEMA P-361 and ICC 500.
having jurisdiction to ensure that all State and local
Building code. Residential and community safe requirements are being met, even when using FEMA
rooms will have different underlying building publication and guidance recommendations.
codes. In locations that have adopted the model
International Codes, the IBC would govern 4.3 Consumer Guide
community safe rooms while the IRC would govern
residential safe rooms. Although this publication presents FEMA’s guidance on
the design and construction of residential safe rooms,
Seismic risk. For community safe rooms located FEMA does not verify or certify design calculations
in a region of high seismicity in the map shown for any product. The licensed design professional
in Figure 4‑1, a licensed design professional who signs the certification attests that the product
may need to be consulted on seismic loads and in question will meet the requirements specified on
any required detailing on the plans. Further, the certification. The design professional should be
builders of community safe rooms located in licensed in the State in which the product will be used.
buildings considered high risk (Risk Category III Note that any product must be properly installed for its
or IV per the 2012 IBC) and in regions of high intended use(s) only. FEMA does not endorse, approve,

39
Figure 4‑1: Seismic risk map*

SOURCE: FEMA P-750, NEHRP-RECOMMENDED SEISMIC
PROVISIONS FOR NEW BUILDINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES, 2009
* This map is based on Site Class D soil. Seismic Design Categories have been adapted into ranges of risk for the purpose of verifying the seismic risk for safe rooms. “High” corresponds to
Seismic Design Categories D and E, “moderate” corresponds to Seismic Design Category C, and “low” corresponds to Seismic Design Categories A and B. To access the original map (with
Seismic Design Categories and ground acceleration values), see FEMA P-750 or the 2012 IRC.
certify, or recommend any contractors, individuals, foundation, as well as for assistance in verifying whether
firms, or products. Contractors, individuals, or firms a safe room product complies with the appropriate
shall not claim they are, or produce products that are criteria. ICC 500 requires that anchors post-installed
“FEMA approved” or “FEMA certified.” Vendor claims in hardened concrete (e.g., an existing slab) for storm
of compliance with FEMA and ICC criteria should be shelter anchorage be subject to special inspection
verified through independent testing or engineering to verify the anchor installation, capacity, and
analysis. Industry or trade organizations can also foundation adequacy according to the manufacturer’s
provide oversight and engineering evaluation programs requirements.
for their members, which include safe room producers,
installers, and other associated professionals.
4.4 Emergency Planning and
Producers, contractors, or firms that wish to indicate
that their safe room products have been properly
Emergency Supply Kit
designed should notify consumers whether the product Whether or not you decide that you need a safe room
meets or exceeds the safe room criteria found in FEMA in your home or small business, you can take two
P-361, and be transparent with records such as test important steps to provide protection for you, your
certification documents. family, or employees during a hurricane or tornado:
prepare an emergency plan and put an emergency
As an alternative to site-built safe rooms, such as the
supply kit together. If you decide to build a safe room,
prescriptive solutions provided in this publication, a
your emergency plan should include notifying local
variety of prefabricated safe rooms are commercially
emergency managers, first responders (local fire
available. The prefabricated safe room industry has
stations), and family members or others outside the
grown tremendously in the past decade, particularly
immediate area that you have a safe room. This should
for residential applications. A prefabricated safe
be done by registering the precise coordinates (latitude
room is a safe room that has been assembled off-site,
and longitude) of the entrance to the safe room with
typically in a manufacturing facility, and transported
your local officials (note that this should be done once
to the site where it will be installed. Typically,
the safe room is constructed, rather than waiting until
prefabricated safe room units include the entire safe
an extreme wind event is imminent). This will allow
room with the exception of the foundation. Therefore
emergency personnel to find and quickly free you after
even if the prefabricated safe room has been tested
the storm if the exit from your safe room becomes
and certified for missile impact and wind pressure,
blocked by debris.
the safe room must be installed on an adequate
foundation. Many consumers are unaware of this, and You should also prepare an emergency supply kit
have prefabricated safe rooms installed on existing, and either keep it in your safe room or be ready to
unreinforced (or insufficiently reinforced) slabs, bring it with you if you need to evacuate your home.
compromising the ability of the safe room to meet the Additionally, remember that, after an extreme wind
life-safety protection standard. ICC 500 requires the event, the egress from a safe room may be blocked.
minimum foundation capacity requirements, locations, Therefore, tools to open or dismantle the door from
and specifications for the anchors to be used to be the inside and an alternate means of communication
provided on the construction plans for the safe room. should be kept in the safe room. A checklist of some
Consumers should be aware of the necessity of a strong suggested items to include in an emergency supply kit is
foundation and anchorage when choosing a safe room provided on the following page.
to avoid purchasing a safe room that is inadequate for
occupant protection.
Consumers may contact their local building official

for assistance if they are unsure whether a safe room
product is being properly installed on an adequate
EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT
FOOD: SPECIAL ITEMS:

• An adequate supply of water for each person in your • Babies – formula, diapers, bottles, powdered milk
home or small business (1 gallon per person per day) • Children – entertainment items such as books, games,
• 3-day supply of non-perishable foods that do not have or toys
to be prepared or cooked (if these include canned • Adults – contact lenses and supplies, extra glasses,
goods, remember to include a manual can opener) and a sufficient supply of prescription medications
• Disposable eating utensils, plates, cups, paper • Pets – appropriate supplies such as water (1/2 gallon
towels, etc. per day), food, leash, ID tag, carrying container, etc.
MEDICAL: ADDITIONAL ITEMS:
• First-aid kit • Important documents such as insurance documents,
• Necessary prescription medicines a list of all your important contacts (e.g., family,
• Bandages doctors, insurance agents), banking information,
leases/ mortgage, proof of occupancy (such as a
• Antibiotic ointment
utility bill), and a waterproof container in which to keep
TOOLS: these documents
• Flashlight (one per person) • Paper and pencil
• Battery-operated radio or television and NOAA* • Electronic device chargers
Weather Radio • ABC-rated** fire extinguisher
• Cellular phone or Citizens Band radio • Dust masks to help filter contaminated air
• Extra batteries for these tools • Roofing tarps or plastic sheeting and duct tape to
• Wrench or pliers (to turn off gas and water) shelter-in-place
• Tools to open damaged doors (e.g., a crowbar, jack, • Roll of large heavy-duty trash bags and ties
spreader) • Money (cash)
• Insect repellent and sunscreen • An audible sounding device that continuously charges
PERSONAL: or operates without a power source (e.g., canned air
horn or whistle) to signal rescue workers if safe room
• Personal hygiene items such as hand wipes and toilet
egress is blocked, and hearing protection (e.g., ear
paper
plugs or ear mufflers) for each occupant
• Portable chemical-type toilet receptacle
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper –
• Extra change of clothing per person (store in plastic when diluted, nine parts water to one part bleach,
trash bags to keep clean and dry) bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an
• Appropriate outer wear (e.g., sunglasses, ponchos, emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16
jackets, gloves, headwear, boots, etc.) drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon
of water
• Bedding materials such as pillows and blankets or
sleeping bags for each person • Matches in a waterproof container
• Local maps
* The NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a
nearby NWS office. NWR broadcasts NWS warnings, watches, forecasts, and other hazard information 24 hours a day, as well as post-event
information for all types of hazards, both natural and technological. NWRs are available at electronics stores across the country and range in
cost from $25 up to $100 or more, depending on the quality of the receiver and number of features. The NWS does not endorse any particular
make or model of receiver. For more information on what to look for in a weather radio, please see Recovery Advisory 5, “Critical Facilities
Located in Tornado-Prone Regions: Recommendations for Facility Owners,” of FEMA P-908.
** ABC refers to fires originating from three types of sources: A – paper, wood, or fabric; B – gasoline or oil; or C – electrical.
4.5 Additional Resources

You can get more information about safe rooms from maintained by the
FEMA publications, which you can obtain free of Department of
charge by visiting the FEMA Library online at fema. Homeland Security.
gov/resource-document-library, calling FEMA at Hurricane- and
1-800-480-2520, by faxing your request to FEMA at 240- tornado-specific
699-0525, or by writing to FEMA Distribution Center, documents on
4440 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick, MD 21704. These READY.gov include
publications include the following: suggested emergency supply kits, food and water
• Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for suggestions, being informed about alerts, and making a
Community and Residential Safe Rooms, FEMA P-361 plan to protect your family, among many other topics.
• Safe Room Resources DVD, FEMA 388 Additional material has been developed in recent years
• Tornado Protection – Selecting Refuge Areas in Buildings, and will likely continue to be propagated, such as the
FEMA P-431 Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) outreach
efforts that can be found on www.FLASH.org. These
You can also find helpful resources at http://www. materials include promotional videos, animations,
ready.gov/, a website dedicated to preparedness online courses, and additional outreach material.
CHAPTER 5
Safe Rooms Save Lives
S
ince the original launch of FEMA P-320, there on April 27, 2011, an EF5 tornado shattered the rural
have been many instances of safe rooms saving community of Cullman, causing mass destruction and
the lives of residents around the country. In the death of the Crumbleys’ next door neighbor. As the
some cases, safe rooms are purchased using private tornado raged over their community, Deborah, her son
funds entirely, while in others FEMA grant funds are Matthew, both of her parents, and her cats were safely
used to pay for part of the safe room. For example, the tucked inside the above-ground safe room.
Oklahoma Safe Room Initiative and rebate program
“Matthew and I had been in the shelter earlier that
helped fund 6,016 safe rooms after an EF5 tornado
morning. We kept hearing the weatherman say, ‘It’s
struck Moore, OK in 1999. In 2003, another major
going to be bad. It’s going to be bad.’ So we got in,”
tornado impacted much of the same area, and there
said Deborah. “Around lunch time, my parents came
were no deaths. This success is directly attributable to
over …”
people using safe rooms. Moreover, knowing that their
families had a safe place to go was a great relief for After huddling in the safe room for a while, Deborah
beneficiaries. As of January 2014, this and other FEMA stated the time and suggested that they could get out.
grant programs have provided over $928,000,000 in “By the time she got the words out of her mouth, I
Federal funds to design and construct nearly 25,000 felt the pressure. My ears popped and I thought I’d
residential and over 2,300 community safe rooms in 25 seriously gone deaf,” said Matthew. “Then something
States and territories. started hitting against the front of the shelter. This was
followed by 2 to 3 minutes of calmness. Then things
Below are a few examples of how safe rooms have saved
were hitting against the back of the shelter.”
lives. With proper installation, storm shelters and
safe rooms protect people from the dangerous forces Deborah said, “While we were in the eye of the storm,
of extreme winds. They can also relieve some of the we could hear everything hitting the shelter. It sounded
anxiety created by the threat of an oncoming tornado like a train … Then we heard one final loud bang. We
or hurricane. For additional information on these and knew, before we opened the door, that the garage was
other safe room success stories, see the FEMA website. gone. We had no idea when we came out that the entire
house was gone.”
Cullman, AL Meanwhile, Deborah’s husband, Keith, had ridden out

the storm in a shelter at work. After the storm, he left
In 2004, Keith, Deborah, and Matthew Crumbley were
his job to race home to his family. As he approached
granted funding for a safe room. Seven years later,
the area, he noted the devastation. “I couldn’t see my
5. Safe Rooms Save Lives
house or the safe room. So I jumped out of my truck Tom and Ryanne moved into a new house and had their
and started running. I just knew everyone was dead. safe room fixed and reinstalled in their new home’s
I was running and calling out to them. Then I heard garage. “At least I have some safety, in case I need to
Debbie say, ‘Here I am,’” said Keith. “That’s about go in there again,” said Ryanne of their safe room. “…
the sweetest sound you could hear when you think you have to give yourself a chance…” says Tom. “Pay
somebody’s gone.” “As grant recipients, we had to go attention.”
through a process. We also had to choose a contractor
from a list that the local emergency manager had given
us. Then, we had to make certain that the safe room Lafayette County, MS
was certified,” said Deborah. “The April 27th storm
Ever since he narrowly survived a tornado as a young
proved that the shelter was able to withstand the test,”
boy, Robert Clemons has had a healthy respect for these
added Keith.
destructive and often deadly phenomena. So he was
The total cost of the safe room was $4,800; however, prepared for the twister that tore through his property
as eligible applicants for the State’s grant program, along County Road 469 south of Oxford in late April
the Crumbleys were reimbursed 75 percent of the cost 2011. Clemons, his wife Patsy, her sister Betty, and their
through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program little dog rode out the tornado in a concrete safe room
(HMGP). Administered by the State, HMGP funds that he had installed in 2006.
projects after a declared disaster, reimbursing up to 75
That early brush with a tornado convinced Robert
percent of the project cost, with the remainder coming
Clemons that “everybody who lives in a tornado-prone
from local sources.
area should have a safe place to go during tornadoes
and strong thunderstorms. I’ve always had some kind
of a storm shelter,” said Clemons, now 74 and a life-
Joplin, MO
long resident of northern Mississippi. In one of his
In May 2008, Tom Cook and his teenage daughter homes, a basement offered a relatively safe refuge from
Ryanne survived a catastrophic tornado in Racine, MO, tornadoes.5 Before he had a safe room at his home on
1
that leveled their home. They had taken refuge in the County Road (CR) 469, he had a “hole in the ground”
bathroom, but were forced out of their home once the dug into a hillside and covered by a heavy tree trunk.
roof came off. While Tom and his daughter survived,
The 2011 tornado season started early in Mississippi,
Tom’s wife of 19 years and Ryanne’s mother did not.
when seven twisters touched down in the State in the
She was one of the 36 people killed by the tornado.
first 3 hours of January 1. Tornado activity waxed and
Following this tragic event, Tom vowed to be prepared waned throughout the South during the next 3 months,
for disasters in the future. “I wasn’t going to take the but April brought 2 days of the costliest and deadliest
chance of going through anything like that again outbreaks in U.S. history. The tornado that struck
without protection,” Tom said during an interview. Tom south of Oxford on April 27 brought winds estimated
and Ryanne moved to nearby Joplin, MO, to rebuild— at 140 mph (rated an EF3 storm), which caused
this time with a safe room in their garage. He started to extensive damage to homes along CR 469, including
research safe rooms and decided on an above-ground, the Clemons’ home.
indoor steel safe room bolted to the floor of his garage.
The Clemons had sat out a few thunderstorms in their
This decision proved fortuitous when an EF5 tornado safe room since they had it built, and even got in a
touched down 3 years later on May 22, 2011. The practice run during the morning of April 27 as several
storm leveled their home, but Tom and Ryanne were storm warnings were issued. In early afternoon, Mr.
unharmed. According to Tom, after emerging from
their safe room, “there was nothing there, except the 5 For more information on refuge areas in the home, see Recovery
safe [room], us, and rubble as far as you can see.” Advisory 4, Safe Rooms and Refuge Areas in the Home, of FEMA
P-908.
Clemons “figured it was time to get an update on the this was the perfect place and time to purchase a safe
tornado situation,” only to learn that one was fast room,” said Ronda. The garage was just a few feet from
approaching their area. He and his family made their the house and the safe room would be easy to access
way to the safe room just minutes before the tornado in an emergency. Rather than build underground, the
reached them at about 1:30 p.m. Johnsons decided to purchase an above-ground safe
room—a 6-foot × 8-foot concrete box anchored to the
The Clemons didn’t feel any vibrations or ground
garage slab and accessed via a steel door with a triple
shaking while inside their safe room as the tornado
latch system. The room is equipped with electricity and
roared by, although the winds moved a nearby storage
supplies, including a flashlight in case the electricity
shed about 6 feet. Clemons got his safe room through
goes out. After installation, the Johnsons registered
the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency’s “A
their safe room with the local fire department in case
Safe Place to Go” program, which reimburses eligible
they needed to be rescued following a storm.
homeowners 75 percent (to a maximum of $4,000) of
the cost of a safe room. By the time the 2013 tornado hit, they had already
utilized the $3,500 unit four or five times, but they
As Mr. Clemons emerged from the safe room, he was
were not directly impacted by the tornadoes. And that’s
saddened to see damage to the roof and foundation of
what they expected when the warning was issued again
their home, the shattered storage shed and its contents,
on May 20. “My daughters and I were getting ready for
and the destruction to the canopy covering his large
graduation night at Newcastle High School,” Ronda
recreational vehicle. As he looked around, Robert was
recalled. ”The sirens began sounding and we received
most disheartened by what the tornado had done to his
a call from my brother, who lives in Edmond, OK,
land. He admits to “being almost sick to think that I’ll
that we needed to get into the shelter. We hurriedly
never again see 100-year old trees around my house.”
gathered the dogs and we all got into the shelter.”
The tornado uprooted most of the large trees and
About 3 minutes later the tornado hit. “It was the
virtually mowed down all the smaller trees and other
loudest sound I have ever heard,” said Kylie. “I had to
vegetation on the Clemons’ property, as well as that of
cover my ears.” “I could hear flying debris hitting the
their neighbors.
safe room,” added Ronda. “After it was over, neighbors
“A safe room is good insurance and a good investment,” came to see if we were all right and to help us out of the
concluded Robert Clemons. “After this tornado, I
wouldn’t be without a safe room, and I hope everybody
in this part of the country is soon able to get one of
their own.”
Moore/Newcastle, OK
One year after Ronda and Billy Johnson installed a safe
room in their garage, their home was totally destroyed
by a tornado. It proved a wise investment because that
safe room saved their lives that day. A powerful EF5
tornado ripped through Newcastle, OK, and nearby
communities on May 20, 2013, destroying homes and
taking 24 lives. Ronda and her daughters, Kylie and
Raylee, plus two family dogs, took shelter from the
storm in the safe room (Figure 5-1). “We had always Figure 5‑1: Safe room that remained standing after an
wanted a safe room and when my husband built an EF5 tornado (Newcastle, OK, 2013). The photo shows
unattached garage on the property we decided that the safe room after the event, after debris had been
cleared away.
shelter because debris was partially blocking the door. Dan Chism and his wife Peggy built their home 38 years
Everything was gone and we did not anticipate that. ago. “It took us 3 years to build it,” said Dan. “It’s hard
There were no walls left standing on the house or the to believe that everything we had worked so hard for
garage. We did not have a wall left. We walked out to was lost in 20 seconds. However, I am grateful my life
nothing.” was spared that day. Everyone in our neighborhood
who went into a safe room that day lived, and everyone
Ronda is no stranger to the destruction and dangers
who stayed inside their house died.” Emergency
that accompany tornadoes. In 1999, her father’s house
warning sirens sounded early that morning across the
in Moore, OK, was destroyed by a tornado. Ronda
town. Radio and television stations also gave warnings,
lived nearby at the time, and she and Kylie rode out
so Dan, Peggy, his son, grandson, and mother-in-law
that storm in a closet. “During this recent storm, if
headed into the safe room. That storm went around
there had been no safe room, we would have probably
them, and Chism thought that the threats were over for
gotten in the bath tub,” said Ronda. “That would not
the day.
have been good. After the tornado, the bathtub was
gone and we don’t know where it went. No signs of Later that afternoon, he heard screams from the street,
it anywhere.” “Living in Oklahoma, tornadoes are and neighbors and family members began running to
something you just have to live with, but you don’t the closest safe room. He could not see the tornado,
really think it’s going to happen to you,” said Kylie. but he heard something like a jet airplane with high
“You think it is only going to happen to other people.” frequency getting louder and louder and he knew that
“We’re going to build back in the same place and we’re a tornado was on the way. Nine family members and
not afraid because we have a safe room,” said Ronda. neighbors ranging from ages one to 91 quickly took
“Now the way I look at it, everyone needs to have a safe cover in his safe room. He stood outside the safe room,
room.” waiting as long as he could for anyone else seeking
refuge. Reluctantly, when he realized he could wait no
longer, he closed the door saying, “It’s going to get us
Monroe County, MS this time.” They were hit about 20 seconds later.
In 1999, Dan Chism installed a safe room to protect Inside the safe room, they could hear the sound of
his family from tornadoes. That shelter saved his life flying debris, and the entire ground was shaking. “I
and the lives of nine others when an EF5 tornado could hear the roaring and my ears were popping,” said
ripped through the small town of Smithville on April Peggy Chism. After everything was over, Chism opened
27, 2011, destroying almost everything in its path. the safe room door and looked outside. “Nothing was
Three quarters of the town was destroyed. The storm left,” said Chism, “… there was so much debris and I
destroyed the majority of the homes and businesses, the could not see the street. All the houses and trees were
police station, the town hall, the post office, and four gone, and I did not know where I was … We put a metal
out of six churches. Seventeen people in this tight-knit roof on … last year and there was no sign of even a
community lost their lives. piece of it. I could not believe that we went into a hole
and came out 60 seconds later and everything was
“Through the years the town has been plagued by
gone. The destruction was unbelievable.”
the threat of storms, but I never imagined the town
would be hit by something as strong as this one,” said “People began coming from another part of town, and
Dan Chism. One past storm brought 28 neighbors and they helped me get a sense of direction as I worked
friends to his safe room for protection. “Everyone in the my way to where my nephew’s house once stood,” said
neighborhood always knew they were welcome to…take Chism. “I looked for him and his wife and others who
cover in the safe room,” Chism said. The in-ground safe did not take cover in a storm shelter. They did not
room is about 20 feet from where his house once stood. survive the storm.” Dan and Peggy Chism decided,
after losing their home, that whether they purchase
an existing home or have one built, a safe room is a In order to minimize administrative costs, OEM opted
necessity. Dan Chism says, “I am positive that we will for an online registration process, which allows users to
build a safe room.” manually update their address or contact information
if they move or have other changes. The program uses
a random selection process to select names so that each
Moore, OK person who registers will have an equal chance to be
selected for a safe room grant. In 2012, funding priority
On the afternoon of May 20, 2013, an EF5 tornado
was given to residents whose homes were destroyed
struck Moore, OK, and surrounding areas. The peak
in the April 14, 2011, Tushka tornado and May 22–25,
winds of the storm have been estimated at 210 mph.
2011, tornadoes in central and northeastern Oklahoma,
The tornado initially touched down in Newcastle, OK,
which garnered Presidential disaster declarations for
and followed a track very similar to the 1999 and 2003
Individual Assistance.
tornadoes that also devastated Moore. The tornado
resulted in 24 deaths, 377 injuries, 1,150 destroyed
homes, and an estimated $2 billion in damages.
Although the tornado traveled directly through densely
populated areas of Moore, part of the Oklahoma
City metropolitan area, the lives of a large number of
people affected by the storm were saved. The tornado
represented a tragic loss of life and devastation to the
community, but many residents of Moore knew from
the past tornadoes that they needed to have a safe place
to take refuge.
Thanks to the Oklahoma SoonerSafe Safe Room

program, as well as previous State and Federal
initiatives to promote safe rooms, many of the
residents of Moore either had a safe room or were able Figure 5‑2: Site-built safe room that withstood the
impact of the Moore tornado (Moore, OK, 2013)
to travel to a nearby safe room to take refuge from
the storm. The program was the third such statewide
initiative implemented by the Oklahoma Department of The SoonerSafe Safe Room Program was developed
Emergency Management (OEM). by OEM in partnership with FEMA and Oklahoma
Interactive, the State’s web portal to provide grant
Previously, the department worked with FEMA funding for the purchase and installation of safe rooms
following the 1999 and 2003 tornado outbreaks to for Oklahoma homeowners. More than 30,000 people
help fund nearly 10,000 residential safe rooms that have registered for the program since its launch.
meet or exceed FEMA P-361 design criteria. Although
the predominant safe room type observed after the For more information about the program, visit www.
tornado was in-ground, above-ground safe rooms soonersafe.ok.gov.
were observed as well (Figure 5-2) that successfully
protected occupants from a direct impact. SoonerSafe
has been funded through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program and Pre-disaster Mitigation. Two years
after the launch, the SoonerSafe program had already
provided funding for more than 1,200 safe rooms for
Oklahoma homeowners.
CHAPTER 6
References
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Structures (ASCE 7-10). Structural Engineering Institute. Available at http://www.asce.org/Product.
aspx?ID=2147487569&ProductID=194395836. Accessed June 12, 2014.
ASCE 2014. Flood Resistant Design and Construction (ASCE 24-14). Available at http://ascelibrary.org/.
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). 2009. NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings
and Other Structures (FEMA P-750). Available at http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/18152.
Accessed June 12, 2014.
FEMA. 2011. Coastal Construction Manual (FEMA P-55). Available at http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/
documents/3293?id=1671. Accessed June 12, 2014.
FEMA. 2012. Mitigation Assessment Team Report – Spring 2011 Tornadoes: April 25-28 and May 22 (FEMA P‑908).
Available at http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/25810?id=5633. Accessed June 12, 2014.
FEMA. 2015. Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms (FEMA
P-361). Available at http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/3140.
ICC/NSSA (International Code Council/National Storm Shelter Association). 2014. ICC/NSSA Standard for the
Design and Construction of Storm Shelters (ICC 500). Available at http://shop.iccsafe.org/standards/icc-standards.
html.
IRC (International Residential Code). 2012. International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings. Available
at http://shop.iccsafe.org/codes/2012-international-codes.html.
NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology). 2014. Final Report, National Institute of Standards and
Technology Investigation of the May 22, 2011, Tornado in Joplin, Missouri. Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/
NIST.NCSTAR.3 . Accessed September 18, 2014.
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), National Severe Weather Database. Undated. http://
www.ncdc.noaa.gov. Accessed June 12, 2014.
NOAA National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center. 2013. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php.
Accessed September 18, 2014.
NOAA National Weather Service, Storm Prediction Center. Undated. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-
scale.html. Accessed September 18, 2014.
NOAA National Weather Service, Storm Prediction Center. 2014a. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/gis/svrgis/. Accessed
September 29, 2014.
NOAA National Climatic Data Center, 2014. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/. Accessed September 29, 2014.
APPENDIX A
Acknowledgments
The Federal Emergency Management Agency would Review Committee Members
like to acknowledge the significant contributions made John Bourdeau Jr., FEMA Region VI
by following individuals in developing the fourth Jim Collins, Ph.D., PE, USP Structural Connectors,
edition of this publication. MiTek USA
Daniel Dolan, Ph.D., PE, Washington State University
Steering Committee Members Gary Ehrlich, PE, National Association of Home
Daniel Bass, RA, CFM, FEMA Headquarters Builders
William Coulbourne, PE, URS Yuriy Farber, NSSA
Robert Franke, FEMA Region VII Dennis Graber, PE, National Concrete Masonry
Andrew Herseth, PE, SE, FEMA Headquarters Association
John Ingargiola, EI, CFM, CBO, FEMA Headquarters Danny Kilcollins, FPEM, Florida Department of
Omar Kapur, PE, URS Emergency Management
Edward Laatsch, PE, FEMA Headquarters David Javier, FEMA Headquarters
Brian Orr, PE, Toth & Associates Christopher Jones, PE
Glenn Overcash, PE, URS Lionel Lemay, PE, SE, LEED AP, National Ready-Mix
John Plisich, FEMA Region IV Concrete Association
Tom Reynolds, PE, URS Marc Levitan, PE, Ph.D., National Institute of
Corey Schultz, AIA, PBA Architects Standards and Technology (NIST)
Larry J. Tanner, PE, RA, Texas Tech University Philip Line, PE, American Wood Council
Scott Tezak, PE, TRC Solutions Michael Mahoney, FEMA Headquarters
Ronald Wanhanen, PE, FEMA Region VI Brad Milanowski, PE, B+T Engineering
Brian Willsey, FEMA Headquarters Tom Pickering, PE, FEMA Headquarters
David Prevatt, Ph.D., PE, University of Florida
Writing, Design, Graphics, and Editorial Tim Reinhold, PE, Ph.D., Insurance Institute for
Brett Garret, Toth & Associates Business & Home Safety
Laura Ghorbi, PE, CFM, URS John Robinson, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Omar Kapur, PE, URS Administration, (NOAA)
Lee-Ann Lyons, URS Kurt Roeper, Assa Abloy
Brian Orr, PE, Toth & Associates Randy Shackelford, PE, Simpson Strong-Tie
Glenn Overcash, PE, URS Matthew Shuman, Underwriters Laboratories
Samantha Passman, URS Timothy Smail, Federal Alliance for Safe Homes
Susan Patton, URS Thomas Smith, AIA, RRC, F.SEI, TLSmith Consulting
Ivy Porpotage, URS Donn Thompson, AIA, CGP, LEED AP BD+C,
Billy Ruppert, URS Portland Cement Association
Pataya Scott, URS Mai Tong, FEMA Headquarters
Amy Siegel, URS
APPENDIX B
Tornado Safe Room Door Fact Sheet
Fact Sheet
Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration September 2014
Residential Tornado Safe Room Doors

Residential safe rooms are becoming more popular as families What is different about a tested safe room
seek protection from violent tornadoes. Like any other room,
safe rooms must be accessed through an opening or door. Just door versus a standard door?
as the walls and roof of a safe room are designed and built For safe room doors to reliably provide life-safety
to protect against extreme winds and wind-borne debris, so protection during a tornado, they must be rigorously
must the safe room door. designed, constructed, and tested. FEMA does not certify
products, but the
When careful selection and installation of the safe room door
manufacturer(s) of safe
assembly is overlooked, the safe room door opening can leave FEMA does not endorse,
room door assemblies
occupants at great risk of injury or death during tornadoes. approve, certify,
must certify their
or recommend any
products have passed
Not all doors are the same contractors, individuals,
ICC 500 testing to
firms, or products.
Steel doors commonly used in residential and commercial meet or exceed FEMA
safe room criteria. Contractors, individuals, or
construction cannot withstand the impact of the wind-borne
debris, or “missiles,” that a tornado can propel, and their Consumers should firms shall not claim they
failure has resulted in serious injury and even death during request documentation are, or produce products
tornadoes. There is a common from the supplier and/ that are, “FEMA approved”
misconception that a steel “storm or installer to verify or “FEMA certified.”
door” with three locks and three the door assembly’s
hinges can provide tornado life- compliance with the most current versions of FEMA’s safe
safety protection: it cannot. Only room publications1 (FEMA P-361 and FEMA P-320) or ICC
door assemblies designed and 5002 for a tornado wind speed of 250 mph. One method
tested to resist tornadoes can of demonstrating compliance is through labeling by third
provide life-safety protection for parties, such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories).
you and your family.
Consumers need to be sure
the door they are buying is
part of a tested tornado safe
room door assembly, as some
door suppliers offer non-tested UL tornado safe room door label
“storm door” assemblies for use
in safe rooms. Sometimes door In addition to having passed required testing for tornado
suppliers market levels of safety missile impact and pressure, the door assembly should be
with corresponding pricing easily locked and unlocked so that access to and from the
Residential safe room safe room is quick and easy.
door (Moore, OK, 2013) (“good,” “better,” “best”). Such
terminology can give consumers
a false sense of security that the less expensive doors 1 FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance
for Community and Residential Safe Rooms and FEMA P-320, Taking
provide an adequate level of tornado protection. In reality, Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room for Your Home or
there is no substitute for a tested tornado safe room door Small Business. FEMA Publications provide criteria based on code
assembly! recommendations and post-disaster field observations, but do not
regulate or set standards in building codes. The most current versions
can be found at links provided under “Resources” section at end of
The good news is these door assemblies are readily Fact Sheet.
available today. 2 ICC 500, ICC/NSSA Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm
Shelters. The most current version can be found at link provided under
“Resources” section at end of Fact Sheet.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, Page1 of 2
sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration
Residential Tornado Safe Room Doors September 2014
Why is installing the complete tested door assembly in its entirety so important?
The door assembly includes the door, hardware (locks and hinges), frame, and attachment
devices used to anchor the door frame to the surrounding safe room wall. Installation
instructions should be specific to the actual safe room wall type (e.g., wood-frame, concrete
masonry units (CMUs)) of the home or small business. The entire safe room door assembly
must have passed the required testing exactly as it is to be installed in the safe room to make
sure it will withstand the required tornado wind pressures and debris impacts.
Some suppliers may offer the door and frame without the tested hardware; if substitutions are
made, the door may fail during a tornado.
Where can you buy a tested safe room door?

Tested door assemblies are typically not available off the shelf in most home improvement
stores, but can be purchased through commercial building product suppliers or safe room/ Tornado safe room impact
test results: Door assembly
storm shelter component suppliers. Texas Tech University testing facility and UL maintain a failed at latch/lock
list of safe room doors (product names and suppliers) that have passed testing. Refer to the
“Resources” below for information.
What should you request when selecting your safe room door?
• The test certification document or UL label that shows the product passed ICC 500 testing
to meet or exceed FEMA safe room criteria
• Confirmation that the hardware supplied with your door is identical to the hardware used
during testing
When it is time to install your safe room, make sure to contact your local building department
for permitting and inspection guidelines.
Resources Tornado safe room impact

test results: Door assembly
• More information on testing protocol and a list of safe room products that have passed failed when perforated
testing at Texas Tech University may be found at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/nwi/research/
DebrisImpact/index.php.
• The UL Online Certification Directory may be found at http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/
XY V/template/LISEXT/1FRAME/index.html.
−− After linking, enter ‘zhla’ in the UL Category field and ‘ICC 500’ in the Keyword field
for safe room-tested products.
• A free copy of FEMA P-361 can be downloaded or ordered from http://www.fema.gov/
media-library/assets/documents/3140.
• A free copy of FEMA P-320 can be downloaded or ordered from http://www.fema.gov/
media-library/assets/documents/2009.
• A copy of ICC 500 can be purchased and subsequently downloaded from http://shop.
iccsafe.org/standards/icc-standards.html?p=1.
Tornado safe room impact
• If you have additional questions pertaining to FEMA safe room guidance publications, you test results: Door assembly
may contact the Safe Room Helpline at [email protected]. passed; no perforation or
latch/lock failure
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, Page2 of 2
sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
FEMA P-320
Catalog No: 08289-3
SAFE ROOM CONSTRUCTION PLANS SAFE ROOM CONSTRUCTION PLANS
Taking Shelter from the Storm: Taking Shelter from the Storm:
Building a Safe Room for Your Building a Safe Room for Your
Home or Small Business Home or Small Business
FEMA P-320, Fourth Edition, December 2014 FEMA P-320, Fourth Edition, December 2014
FEMA P-320 SAFE ROOM CONSTRUCTION PLANS
TAKING SHELTER FROM THE STORM:
BUILDING A SAFE ROOM IN YOUR HOME
OR SMALL BUSINESS *
DRAWING # SHEET TITLE

SR0.0 INDEX SHEET
SR0.1 GENERAL NOTES
SR0.2 GENERAL NOTES
SR0.3 TABLES
SR1.0 CMU SAFE ROOM PLANS AND DETAILS
SR1.1 CONCRETE SAFE ROOM PLANS AND DETAILS
SR1.2 ICF SAFE ROOM PLANS AND DETAILS
SR1.3 WOOD FRAME SAFE ROOM PLANS AND DETAILS
SR1.4 WOOD / CMU INFILL FRAME SAFE ROOM AND
DETAILS
SR1.5 DETAILS FOR SAFE ROOMS THAT USE BASEMENT
WALLS
LIMIT OF LIABILITY SR2.1 SHEATHING REQUIREMENTS & WOOD FRAME
THE DESIGNS IN THIS BOOKLET ARE BASED ON EXTENSIVE RESEARCH OF THE SAFE ROOM WITH STEEL SHEATHING
CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF WINDSTORM DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS. SAFE ROOMS
DESIGNED AND BUILT TO THESE STANDARDS SHOULD PROVIDE A HIGH DEGREE SR2.2 EXHAUST / VENTILATION DETAILS
OF OCCUPANT PROTECTION DURING EXTREME WINDSTORMS (TORNADOES
AND HURRICANES). ANY SUBSTITUTION OF EITHER MATERIALS OR DESIGN
CONCEPTS MAY DECREASE THE LEVEL OF OCCUPANT PROTECTION AND/OR
INCREASE THE POSSIBILITY OF PERSONAL INJURY DURING A SEVERE WIND
FEMA P-320 (2014)
EVENT. SHEET TITLE:
INDEX SHEET
BECAUSE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO PREDICT OR TEST ALL CONDITIONS THAT MAY
OCCUR DURING SEVERE WINDSTORMS OR CONTROL THE QUALITY OF * SAFE ROOMS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES OR RESIDENTIAL USE DRAWING NO:
SR0.0 Sheet: 1 of 12
CONSTRUCTION AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE DESIGNER DOES NOT WARRANT
THE DESIGN. WITH MORE THAN 16 OCCUPANTS ARE COMMUNITY SAFE DATE: DECEMBER 2014
REVISIONS
THE DESIGNER NEITHER MANUFACTURES NOR SELLS SAFE ROOMS BUILT FROM
THESE DESIGNS. THE DESIGNERS HAVE NOT MADE AND DO NOT MAKE ANY ROOMS THAT HAVE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS THAT THESE
REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, OR COVENANT, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH
RESPECT TO THE DESIGN, CONDITION, QUALITY, DURABILITY, OPERATION,
FITNESS FOR USE, OR SUITABILITY OF THE SAFE ROOM IN ANY RESPECT
CONSTRUCTION PLANS DO NOT PROVIDE FOR. SEE SECTION
WHATSOEVER. THE DESIGNERS SHALL NOT BE OBLIGATED OR LIABLE FOR
ACTUAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER DAMAGES OF OR TO USERS
4.2 OF FEMA P-320 FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
OF THE SAFE ROOM, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY ARISING OUT OF OR IN
CONNECTION WITH THE USE, CONDITION, AND/OR PERFORMANCE OF THE SAFE
ROOM BUILT FROM THIS DESIGN OR FROM THE MAINTENANCE THEREOF.
Copyright © 2014
GENERAL NOTES CONCRETE NOTES ABBREVIATION LEGEND
1. THE CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS REPRESENT THE FINISHED STRUCTURE. THEY DO NOT INCLUDE 1. REINFORCING BAR DETAILING, FABRICATING, AND PLACING SHALL CONFORM TO THE "ACI AB ANCHOR BOLT
CONSTRUCTION MEANS AND METHODS. CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE ALL MEASURES STANDARD: DETAILS AND DETAILING OF CONCRETE REINFORCEMENT" (ACI 315) AND THE ACI AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE
NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE STRUCTURE DURING CONSTRUCTION. SUCH MEASURES SHALL "MANUAL OF ENGINEERING AND PLACING DRAWINGS FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE AISC AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION
INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BRACING, SHORING FOR CONSTRUCTION LOADS, TEMPORARY STRUCTURES" (ACI 315R) BY THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE. THE MOST CURRENT AISI AMERICAN IRON AND STEEL INSTITUTE
STRUCTURES, AND PARTIALLY COMPLETED WORK. EDITIONS OF CONCRETE REINFORCING STEEL INSTITUTE'S "REINFORCING BAR AWS AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY
2. IF THERE IS A CONFLICT AMONG THE GENERAL NOTES, SPECIFICATIONS, AND PLANS, THE MORE DETAILING" AND "PLACING REINFORCING BARS" MAY ALSO BE USED. BO BOTTOM OF
STRINGENT CRITERIA SHALL APPLY. 2. REINFORCING STEEL SHALL CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF ASTM A615. BRG BEARING
3. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL EXCAVATION PROCEDURES INCLUDING REINFORCING SHALL BE GRADE 60 (FY=60 KSI) DEFORMED BARS FOR ALL BARS UNLESS BTM BOTTOM
SHORING AND PROTECTION OF ADJACENT PROPERTY, STRUCTURES, STREETS, AND UTILITIES IN NOTED OTHERWISE ON PLANS OR DETAILS. ALL REINFORCING TO BE WELDED SHALL BE CIP CAST IN PLACE CONCRETE WALL
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOCAL BUILDING DEPARTMENT. ALL WORK OR CONSTRUCTION SHALL ASTM A706, GRADE 60 LOW ALLOY WELDABLE STEEL. CMU CONCRETE MASONRY UNIT
COMPLY WITH ALL APPLICABLE BUILDING CODES, REGULATIONS, AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. 3. WELDING OF REINFORCING BARS, METAL INSERTS, AND CONNECTIONS SHALL CONFORM CONC CONCRETE
4. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFICATION AND COORDINATION OF ALL TO AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY’S AWS D1.4 – STRUCTURAL WELDING CODE, AND SHALL CONN CONNECTION
DIMENSIONS, CONDITIONS AND ELEVATIONS. BE MADE ONLY AT LOCATIONS SHOWN ON PLANS OR DETAILS. CONT CONTINUOUS
5. OPTIONS ARE FOR CONTRACTORS CONVENIENCE. IF AN OPTION IS USED, THE CONTRACTOR 4. ALL REINFORCING SHALL BE BENT COLD. BARS SHALL NOT BE STRAIGHTENED AND RE- DIA DIAMETER
SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL NECESSARY CHANGES AND SHALL COORDINATE ALL DETAILS. BENT. FIELD BENDING OF REBAR SHALL NOT BE ALLOWED UNLESS SPECIFICALLY NOTED DBL DOUBLE
6. DETAILS AND NOTES SHALL APPLY, THOUGH NOT NECESSARILY AT A SPECIFIC LOCATION ON OTHERWISE. EL ELEVATION
PLANS. WHERE NO DETAILS ARE SHOWN, CONSTRUCTION SHALL CONFORM TO SIMILAR WORK 5. REINFORCING BAR SPACING SHOWN ON PLANS ARE AT MAXIMUM ON CENTERS. ALL BARS EQ EQUAL
ON THE PROJECT. DETAILS MAY ONLY SHOW ONE SIDE OF CONNECTION OR MAY OMIT SHALL BE DETAILED AND PLACED WITHIN 1/2” TOLERANCE IN ANY DIRECTION. SECURELY EW EACH WAY
INFORMATION FOR CLARITY. WHERE DISCREPANCIES OCCUR IN THESE DRAWINGS, NOTES AND TIE ALL BARS IN LOCATION BEFORE PLACING CONCRETE. FND FOUNDATION
DETAILS ON DRAWINGS SHALL TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER GENERAL STRUCTURAL NOTES AND 6. REINFORCING BAR CLEAR COVER REQUIREMENTS: FF FINISHED FLOOR
TYPICAL DETAILS. a. CONCRETE PLACED AGAINST EARTH – 3” FTG FOOTING
7. NOT ALL OPENINGS ARE SHOWN IN THESE DRAWINGS. ESTABLISH AND VERIFY ALL OPENINGS b. CONCRETE PLACED IN FORMS – 1.5” GA GAGE
AND INSERTS FOR MECHANICAL, PLUMBING, AND ELECTRICAL WITH APPROPRIATE TRADES, 7. WELDED WIRE REINFORCING SHALL CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF ASTM A1064. GYP GYPSUM
DRAWINGS, AND SUBCONTRACTORS PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION. OPENINGS MAY REQUIRE LAPS IN WELDED WIRE REINFORCING SHALL BE MADE SUCH THAT THE OVERLAP, HORIZ HORIZONTAL
ADDITIONAL REINFORCING OR SUPPORTS AS SHOWN ON TYPICAL DETAILS. OPENINGS NEED TO MEASURED BETWEEN OUTERMOST CROSS WIRE OF EACH SHEET, IS NOT LESS THAN THE ICF INSULATED CONCRETE FORMS
BE PROTECTED PER ICC 500 SECTIONS 310.1 AND 306.3. SPACING OF CROSS WIRES PLUS 2 INCHES. INFO INFORMATION
8. COMPLETE INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS SHALL BE AS DIRECTED BY THE LOCAL BUILDING 8. MECHANICAL SPLICE COUPLERS, FLANGE COUPLERS, THREADED COUPLERS, ETC. SHALL KSI KIPS PER SQUARE INCH
DEPARTMENT. HAVE CURRENT ANSI-APPROVED PRODUCT CERTIFICATION BODY SUCH AS IAPMO-OES OR L LENGTH
9. THE CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS SHOULD NOT BE SCALED. DIMENSIONS APPLY. ICC-ES APPROVAL AND SHALL BE CAPABLE OF DEVELOPING 125% OF THE STRENGTH OF LB POUNDS
10. FOLLOW MANUFACTURER’S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INSTALLING OF UPLIFT/SHEAR THE BAR. LONG LONGITUDINAL
RESISTANCE CONNECTORS. 9. PROVIDE BAR SUPPORTS: BOLSTERS, CHAIRS, SPACERS, AND OTHER DEVICES FOR MAX MAXIMUM
11. TO ENSURE THE SAFE ROOM PROVIDES THE DESIRED LEVEL OF PROTECTION, A PROFESSIONAL SPACING, SUPPORTING, AND FASTENING REINFORCING BARS AND WELDED WIRE MEP MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING
ENGINEER OR ARCHITECT SHOULD BE CONSULTED FOR ANY DESIGN CONDITION FOUND TO BE REINFORCEMENT IN PLACE. MANUFACTURE BAR SUPPORTS FROM STEEL WIRE, PLASTIC, MFR MANUFACTURER
DIFFERENT FROM THOSE REPRESENTED BY THESE PLANS. OR PRECAST CONCRETE ACCORDING TO CRSI's "MANUAL OF STANDARD PRACTICE." MIN MINIMUM
12. TO OBTAIN AN EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF PROTECTION, SAFE ROOM DESIGNS NOT MEETING THE 10. PROVIDE TEMPORARY SHORING AND BRACING OF ALL STRUCTURAL AND MISCELLANEOUS MISC MISCELLANEOUS
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE DESIGNS IN THESE PLANS SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO MEET ELEMENTS UNTIL CONCRETE HAS OBTAINED 80% OF DESIGN STRENGTH. ML MASONRY LINTEL
THE FEMA SAFE ROOM CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THE 2015 FEMA P-361 “DESIGN AND 11. WHEN PLACING CONCRETE IN HOT WEATHER, REFER TO ACI 305R. WHEN PLACING MTL METAL
CONSTRUCTION GUIDANCE FOR COMMUNITY SAFE ROOMS.” CONCRETE IN COLD WEATHER, REFER TO ACI 306.1. NTS NOT TO SCALE
13. FOR ALL CONSTRUCTION, USE ONLY SCREWS AND HARDWARE THAT HAVE BEEN EVALUATED 12. ALL BELOW GRADE CONSTRUCTION JOINTS SHALL HAVE A CONTINUOUS WATERSTOP OC ON CENTER
THROUGH AN ANSI-APPROVED PRODUCT CERTIFICATION BODY SUCH AS IAPMO-OES OR ICC-ES. CAST INTEGRALLY INTO THE JOINT. PCF POUNDS PER CUBIC FOOT
14. VENTILATION IS TO BE PROVIDED PER PLAN DETAILS. VERIFY SIZE REQUIREMENTS BASED ON 13. WHERE FOOTINGS, WALLS, OR OTHER STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS INTERSECT, CORNER, OR PLF POUNDS PER LINEAR FOOT
SAFE ROOM SIZE AND ICC 500. TEE, PROVIDE CORNER BARS WITH REQUIRED LAP LENGTHS TO PROVIDE CONTINUITY OF PSF POUNDS PER SQUARE FOOT
15. MAXIMUM WALL HEIGHT FOR SAFE ROOM SHALL BE 8’-0”. HORIZONTAL STEEL REINFORCING UNO. PSI POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH
16. REFER TO LOCALLY ADOPTED BUILDING CODE FOR EXTERIOR SAFE ROOM WEATHER 14. PROVIDE MINIMUM 3” COVER FOR ANCHOR BOLTS AND LOCATE HORIZONTAL PT PRESSURE TREATED
PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS. REINFORCEMENT TO THE OUTSIDE FOR ANCHOR BOLT CONTAINMENT UNO. RE REFER TO
17. FOR COMMUNITY SAFE ROOMS SEE 2014 ICC 500 AND 2015 FEMA P-361 FOR ADDITIONAL DESIGN 15. FOLLOW ALL MANUFACTURER’S INSTALLATION RECOMMENDATIONS WHERE DOWELS, REINF REINFORCING
REQUIREMENTS. BOLTS, OR INSERTS ARE CALLED TO BE ANCHORED TO CAST IN PLACE CONCRETE SIM SIMILAR
ELEMENTS USING EPOXY ADHESIVES OR MECHANICAL ANCHORAGE. SF SQUARE FOOT
16. FLY ASH MAY BE USED AS A ONE TO ONE REPLACEMENT UP TO 20% FOR THE TOTAL SFRM SAFE ROOM
CEMENT CONTENT AS LONG AS THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 50 DEGREES SOG SLAB ON GRADE
FAHRENHEIT. FLY ASH SHALL BE CLASS C CONFORMING TO ASTM C 618. SPEC SPECIFICATIONS
17. ALL CONCRETE EXPOSED TO FREEZING SHALL BE AIR ENTRAINED. AIR CONTENT OF T THICKNESS
SLAB ON GRADE GENERAL NOTES: FRESH CONCRETE SHALL BE 5-7%. T&B TOP AND BOTTOM
18. NO LIME SAND FINE AGGREGATE MAY BE USED IN CONCRETE EXPOSED TO WEATHER, TO TOP OF
1. 4” (MINIMUM) SLAB ON GRADE REINFORCED WITH WWR 6X6 W2.9XW2.9 (IN SHEETS) OR #4 BARS AT VIEW, OR IN HORIZONTAL APPLICATIONS. TOC TOP OF CONCRETE ELEVATION
12" OC EACH WAY. LOCATE REINFORCING IN TOP THIRD OF SLAB. PROVIDE BOLSTERS, CHAIRS, OR 19. DO NOT USE AIR ENTRAINED CONCRETE FOR FLOORS WITH A TROWELED FINISH. AT SUCH TOF TOP OF FOOTING ELEVATION
OTHER MEANS APPROVED IN WRITING BY THE ENGINEER TO PROPERLY LOCATE REINFORCING. LOCATIONS ENTRAPPED AIR CONTENT SHALL NOT EXCEED 3%. TOW TOP OF WALL ELEVATION
2. SLAB ON GRADE INSIDE THE BUILDING STRUCTURE SHALL BE SUPPORTED ON A 6" DRAINAGE 20. CONCRETE FOR FOUNDATION WALLS, FOOTINGS, AND INTERIOR SLABS ON GRADE SHALL TYP TYPICAL
COURSE. DRAINAGE COURSE SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS: COURSE OF CLEAN WASHED GRANULAR HAVE A 28-DAY COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF 3,000 PSI WITH A SLUMP OF 4" ± 1". THE UNO UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE
MATERIAL PLACED TO CUT OFF UPWARD CAPILLARY FLOW OF GROUND WATER, OR TO PROVIDE A MAXIMUM WATER TO CEMENT RATIO SHALL BE 0.45 BY WEIGHT. W WIDTH
STABLE BASE FOR PIPES OR OTHER STRUCTURES. MATERIAL SHALL BE WASHED, EVENLY 21. CONCRETE FOR CAST-IN-PLACE WALL SHALL HAVE A 28-DAY COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF W/ WITH
GRADED MIXTURE OF CLEAN CRUSHED STONE, OR CRUSHED OR UNCRUSHED GRAVEL, ASTM D 4,000 PSI WITH A SLUMP OF 4" ± 1". THE MAXIMUM WATER TO CEMENT RATIO SHALL BE 0.45 WWR WELDED WIRE REINFORCING
448, COARSE AGGREGATE GRADING SIZE 57, WITH 100 PERCENT PASSING A 1-1/2 INCH SIEVE AND BY WEIGHT.
NOT MORE THAN 5 PERCENT PASSING A NO. 8 SIEVE. 22. IF ADDITIONAL FLOWABILITY IS REQUIRED FOR PLACEMENT OF ANY CONCRETE MIX, A
3. CONSULT WITH LOCAL CODE OFFICIAL FOR VAPOR RETARDER RECOMMENDATIONS. WATER-REDUCING ADDITIVE CONFORMING TO ASTM C494, TYPE A, D, E, OR F SHALL BE
4. PROVIDE JOINT FILLER AT THE INTERFACE OF ALL WALL AND SLAB JOINTS. USED. NO ADDITIONAL WATER MAY BE ADDED TO THE MIX AT THE SITE. SLUMP FOR
5. ALL EXPANSIVE CLAYS WITHIN 24” OF FLOOR SLABS SHALL BE REMOVED. ALL FILL BELOW FLOOR CONCRETE CONTAINING WATER-REDUCING OR HIGH-RANGE WATER-REDUCING
SLABS SHALL BE PROPERLY COMPACTED AND SUBGRADE BROUGHT TO A TRUE AND LEVEL PLANE ADMIXTURE SHALL NOT EXCEED 8" AFTER ADMIXTURE IS INCORPORATED INTO CONCRETE
BEFORE PLACEMENT OF ANY CONCRETE. WITH A 2"-4" SLUMP.
FEMA P-320 (2014)

SHEET TITLE:
GENERAL NOTES
DRAWING NO:
DATE: DECEMBER 2014
REVISIONS
Copyright © 2014
COLD-FORM (LIGHT GAUGE) SHEATHING NOTES MASONRY GENERAL NOTES GENERAL WOOD FRAMING NOTES
1. YIELD STRENGTH FOR METAL IS 36 KSI MINIMUM 1. COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE MASONRY CONSTRUCTION (CMU) SHALL BE AS 1. WOOD FRAMING LUMBER TO HAVE MODULUS OF ELASTICITY = 1,200,000 PSI MIN.
2. IN HURRICANE-PRONE REGIONS, ALL METAL SHOULD BE G60 GALVANIZED BY THE FOLLOWS: MASONRY STRENGTH NOT SPECIFICALLY NOTED IN PLAN SHALL BE f’m = 1500 AND Fb = 850 PSI. MIN. FOR NORMAL DURATION LOADING. EXAMPLES OF
MANUFACTURER. PSI MINIMUM. ACCEPTABLE GRADE AND SPECIES OF FRAMING LUMBER INCLUDE #2 AND
3. SAFE ROOM W/ STEEL SHEATHING COVERED W/ GYP. BOARD FINISH OR OTHERWISE 2. CONCRETE MASONRY SHALL BE HOLLOW LOAD-BEARING CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS BETTER SOUTHERN PINE, DOUGLAS FIR, HEM-FIR, AND SPRUCE-PINE-FIR.
SEPARATED FROM CONTACT BY SAFE ROOM OCCUPANTS NEED NOT BE GROUNDED. CONFORMING TO ASTM C90,. ALL UNITS SHALL BE PLACED IN RUNNING BOND 2. PLYWOOD SHOULD BE RATED SHEATHING SPAN RATING 32/16, MIN. 23/32
4. SAFE ROOM W/ STEEL SHEATHING UNCOVERED AND AVAILABLE FOR CONTACT BY CONSTRUCTION WITH ALL VERTICAL CELLS IN ALIGNMENT EXCEPT AT DRY STACKED INFILL THICKNESS.
SAFE ROOM OCCUPANTS MUST BE GROUNDED AT A SINGLE LOCATION W/ COPPER LOCATIONS. 3. NAILS SHALL BE COMMON WIRE NAILS AS SPECIFIED ON THE PLANS.
WIRE AND GROUND ROD TO MEET NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE AND LOCAL 3. MORTAR SHALL CONFORM TO REQUIREMENTS OF TYPE M OR S. 4. FOLLOW MANUFACTURER’S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INSTALLATION OF
REQUIREMENTS. 4. REINFORCING STEEL SHALL CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF ASTM A615. UPLIFT/SHEAR RESISTANCE CONNECTORS.
REINFORCING SHALL BE GRADE 60 (FY=60 KSI) DEFORMED BARS FOR ALL BARS UNLESS 5. ALL PLYWOOD JOINTS SHOULD BE SOLIDLY BLOCKED w/ 2x6.
NOTED OTHERWISE ON PLANS OR DETAILS. ALL REINFORCING TO BE WELDED SHALL BE 6. WALL AND CEILING PENETRATIONS THROUGH THE MISSILE PROTECTION
DOOR NOTES ASTM A706, GRADE 60 LOW ALLOY WELDABLE STEEL. SHEATHING SHALL BE MINIMIZED.
5. WELDING OF REINFORCING BARS, METAL INSERTS, AND CONNECTIONS SHALL CONFORM 7. DO NOT DRILL THROUGH WALL STUDS OR TOP AND BOTTOM PLATES FOR MEP
1. THE SELECTED DOOR SHALL MEET THE DESIGN CRITERIA OF 2015 FEMA P-361 TO AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY’S AWS D1.4 – STRUCTURAL WELDING CODE, AND SHALL SUPPLY LINES OR VENTS. INSTALL MEP SUPPLY LINES AND VENTS IN PLUMBING
AND 2014 ICC-500. ALL DOORS SHALL BE A TESTED ASSEMBLY AND INSTALLED BE MADE ONLY AT LOCATIONS SHOWN ON PLANS OR DETAILS. CHASE.
PER MANUFACTURES RECOMMENDATIONS. 6. ALL REINFORCING SHALL BE BENT COLD. BARS SHALL NOT BE STRAIGHTENED AND RE- 8. ALL WOOD FRAMING SHALL BE FREE OF LARGE KNOTS, WARPS, SPLITS, OR
2. FOR WOOD FRAMED SAFE ROOM, DOOR MUST BE PLACED ON LONGEST WALL. BENT. FIELD BENDING OF REBAR SHALL NOT BE ALLOWED UNLESS SPECIFICALLY NOTED DEFECTS.
3. FOR SMALL BUSINESS APPLICATIONS, DOORS ARE REQUIRED TO BE ADA OTHERWISE. 9. WHERE CALLED FOR ON THE PLANS TO USE FRAMING ANCHORS USE GALVANIZED
ACCESSIBLE WITH A MINIMUM WIDTH OF 3’-0”. 7. REINFORCING BAR SPACING SHOWN ON PLANS ARE AT MAXIMUM ON CENTERS. ALL BARS OR CORROSION-RESISTANT EQUIVALENT STEEL FRAMING ANCHORS.
SHALL BE DETAILED AND PLACED WITHIN 1/2” TOLERANCE PERPENDICULAR TO THE WALL 10. ALL LUMBER IN CONTACT WITH CONCRETE OR MASONRY SHALL BE TREATED AND
AND WITHIN 2” TOLERANCE PARALLEL TO THE WALL. SUPPORT ALL REINFORCEMENT TO SHALL COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS OF AWPA STANDARD U1, USE
PREVENT DISPLACEMENT CAUSED BY CONSTRUCTION LOADS OR BY PLACEMENT OF CATEGORY UC3B.
GROUT AND MORTAR BEYOND ALLOWABLE TOLERANCES. 11. AT OPENINGS PROVIDE FOUR (4) 2X TRIMMER STUDS AT EACH SIDE OF OPENING.
DESIGN CRITERIA FEMA P-320 8. MASONRY GROUT SHALL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ASTM C476. GROUT EXCEPT FOR SELF- 12. SHEATHING MAY BE INSTALLED ON INSIDE OR OUTSIDE FACE. SINGLE LAYER TO
CONSOLIDATING GROUT SHALL HAVE A SLUMP BETWEEN 8 AND 11” WHEN MEASURED IN BE INSTALLED ON OPPOSITE FACE.
1. DESIGN CODES IRC 2012 / IBC 2012 / FEMA P-361 3RD,2015 /ICC 500-2014 ACCORDANCE WITH ASTM C143. ALL CELLS IN CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS SHALL BE
· RISK CATEGORY IV SOLID GROUTED. EXCEPTION: DRY-STACKED MASONRY FOR WOOD-FRAME INFILL OPTION.
9. REFERENCE MASONRY DEVELOPMENT AND SPLICE TABLE FOR REINFORCING BAR LAP
2. GRAVITY LOADS LENGTHS IN MASONRY CONSTRUCTION.
10. MINIMUM VERTICAL WALL REINFORCING SHALL BE AS INDICATED IN THE PLANS AND SHALL
A. TYPICAL ROOF DEAD LOAD SELF WEIGHT BE FULL HEIGHT IN CENTER OF GROUTED CELL AT WALL INTERSECTIONS, CORNERS AND FOUNDATION NOTES
COLLATERAL LOAD 5 PSF DOOR JAMBS.
11. MINIMUM HORIZONTAL WALL REINFORCING SHALL INCLUDE A BOND BEAM AT THE TOP OF 1. ALL FOOTINGS SHALL BEAR ON AND BE FORMED BY CLEAN, UNDISTURBED, VIRGIN,
B. LIVE LOADS THE WALL WITH A MINIMUM OF 1 NO.4 BAR CONTINUOUS AROUND PERIMETER FOR 6” NON-ORGANIC SOIL OR CONTROLLED ENGINEERED FILL WITH A MINIMUM NET BEARING
TYPICAL ROOF LIVE LOAD (LR) 100 PSF MIN MASONRY WALLS AND 1 NO. 5 CONTINUOUS AROUND THE PERIMETER FOR 8” MASONRY CAPACITY OF 1500 PSF.
WALLS. PROVIDE BENT BARS PER TYPICAL DETAILS TO MATCH AND LAP WITH HORIZONTAL 2. EXTERIOR FOOTINGS SHALL BEAR AT OR BELOW MINIMUM BEARING DEPTH PER THE
C. ROOF SNOW LOAD BOND BEAM REINFORCING AT CORNERS AND WALL INTERSECTIONS TO MAINTAIN LOCAL BUILDING OFFICIAL. MINIMUM BEARING DEPTH IS 30" BELOW ADJACENT
- CONSULT LOCAL PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER FOR THE DESIGN OF SNOW CONTINUITY OF BOND BEAM REINFORCEMENT. FINISHED GRADE.
LOADS WHEN SNOW LOADS COULD EXCEED THE SPECIFIED ROOF LIVE 12. MINIMUM MASONRY LINTEL SHALL BE AS INDICATED IN THE PLANS. ALL LINTEL 3. STANDARD PROCEDURES OF FROST PROTECTION FOR FOUNDATIONS AND
LOAD. REINFORCING SHALL EXTEND 2 FEET PAST JAMBS UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE ON PLANS EXCAVATIONS SHALL BE EMPLOYED FOR WINTER CONSTRUCTION. BACKFILLING OF
OR DETAILS. EXCAVATIONS SHALL BE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO PROTECT FOUNDATIONS
3. LATERAL LOADS 13. MASONRY VENEER SHALL BE ATTACHED TO SUPPORTING WALL FRAMING WITH 3/16" DIA. FROM FROST.
WALL TIES OR DOVETAIL-TYPE METAL TIES OF EQUIVALENT STIFFNESS EMBEDDED INTO 4. ALL SOIL BELOW SLABS AND FOOTINGS SHALL BE PROPERLY COMPACTED AND
A. WIND LOADS HORIZONTAL MORTAR JOINTS. MAXIMUM VERTICAL SPACING OF TIES SHALL BE 16". MAX SUBGRADE BROUGHT TO A TRUE AND LEVEL PLANE BEFORE PLACING CONCRETE.
WIND SPEED 250 MPH HORIZONTAL SPACING SHALL BE 24". TIES IN ALTERNATE COURSES SHALL BE STAGGERED. 5. FOUNDATION WALLS SHALL HAVE TEMPORARY BRACING BEFORE BACKFILL IS PLACED
WIND IMPORTANCE FACTOR (I) 1.0 PROVIDE 9 GA. WIRE REINFORCING IN HORIZONTAL MORTAR JOINTS AT 16" O.C. ENGAGE 9 AGAINST THEM. TEMPORARY BRACING SHALL NOT BE REMOVED UNTIL WALL IS
EXPOSURE CATEGORY C GA. WIRE WITH WALL ANCHOR TIES. PERMANENTLY BRACED.
DIRECTIONALITY FACTOR (Kd) 1.0 14. LOOSE ANGLE BRICK LINTELS SHALL BE SPECIFIED BY OTHERS. 6. FOUNDATION PENETRATIONS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY A PROFESSIONAL
TOPOGRAPHIC FACTOR (Kzt) 1.0 15. RETAINING WALLS, BASEMENT WALLS, ETC., SHALL BE ADEQUATELY WATERPROOFED AND ENGINEER OR ARCHITECT. PENETRATIONS SHALL BE THROUGH THE FOUNDATION
INTERNAL PRESSURE (GCpi) ±0.55 DRAINED AS SPECIFIED BY OTHERS. STEMWALL OR WITH A MINIMUM OF 6" COVER BELOW FOOTING.
16. WHERE VERTICAL REINFORCING INTERSECTS HORIZONTAL REINFORCING, BOTH SHALL BE 7. IN AREA OF THE BUILDING, EXISTING ORGANIC MATERIAL, UNSUITABLE SOIL,
B. SEISMIC LOADS CONTINUOUS. ABANDONED FOOTINGS, AND ANY OTHER EXISTING UNSUITABLE MATERIALS SHALL BE
- IN AREAS OF HIGH OR MODERATE SEISMIC DESIGN, CONSULT A LOCAL DESIGN 17. MAXIMUM HEIGHT FOR GROUT POUR SHALL NOT EXCEED 64” UNLESS A CLEANOUT IS REMOVED.
PROFESSIONAL. SEE SECTION 4.2 OF P-320 FOR MORE INFORMATION. PROVIDED AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH CELL CONTAINING REINFORCEMENT OR AT A 8. DRAINAGE FILL SHALL BE A FREE-DRAINING GRANULAR MATERIAL. USE #57 STONE OR
MAXIMUM HORIZONTAL SPACING OF 32” WHICHEVER IS LESS. APPROVED EQUAL. REFER TO ASTM D448 FOR GRADATION.
4. MISSILE IMPACT CRITERIA 18. FOLLOW ALL MANUFACTURER’S INSTALLATION RECOMMENDATIONS WHERE DOWELS, 9. EXCAVATION FOR FOOTINGS SHALL BE CUT TO ACCURATE SIZE AND DIMENSIONS AS
· VERTICAL SURFACES 15 POUND 2x4 AT 100MPH BOLTS, OR INSERTS ARE CALLED TO BE ANCHORED TO CAST IN PLACE CONCRETE SHOWN ON PLANS. ALL LOOSE MATERIAL BELOW FOOTINGS SHALL BE REMOVED AND
· HORIZONTAL SURFACES 15 POUND 2x4 AT 67MPH ELEMENTS USING EPOXY ADHESIVES OR MECHANICAL ANCHORAGE. THE SURFACE BROUGHT TO A REASONABLE TRUE AND LEVEL PLANE BEFORE PLACING
CONCRETE.
10. WHEN INSTALLATION AND FOUNDATION REQUIREMENTS ARE ADDRESSED BY A LOCAL
DESIGN PROFESSIONAL, THESE DESIGNS SHALL EXCEED THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
INSULATED CONCRETE FORMS GENERAL NOTES SET FORTH IN THE ICC-500 FOR RESIDENTIAL SHELTERS FOR BOTH TORNADO AND
HURRICANE HAZARDS.
1. ICF SYSTEM UTILIZED SHALL BE FLAT PANEL SYSTEM PROVIDING CONSISTENT WALL
THICKNESS ACROSS THE ENTIRE WALL. DO NOT USE WAFFLE, SCREEN, POST AND BEAM
ETC. ICF SYSTEMS.
2. EXTREME CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN VIBRATING THE CONCRETE INSIDE THE
PERMANENT ICF FORMS TO ASSURE CONSOLIDATION OF CONCRETE AND TO ELIMINATE
VOIDS IN THE WALL. LIKEWISE, CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN NOT TO OVER-VIBRATE
CONCRETE THUS SEGREGATING AGGREGATE.
3. REFERENCE ICF MANUFACTURE FOR MAXIMUM POUR HEIGHTS.
4. CONCRETE FOR ICF WALLS SHALL HAVE A 28-DAY COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF 4,000 PSI
WITH A SLUMP OF 6"+/-1" PER MANUFACTURE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE MAXIMUM WATER
TO CEMENT RATIO SHALL BE 0.45 BY WEIGHT.
FEMA P-320 (2014)
SHEET TITLE:
GENERAL NOTES
DRAWING NO:
DATE: DECEMBER 2014
REVISIONS
Copyright © 2014
CONCRETE DEVELOPMENT AND SPLICE WOOD CONSTRUCTION CONNECTOR SCHEDULE
LAP SPLICE LENGTHS (INCHES) LOCATION
REQUIRED UPLIFT SIMPSON UNITED STEEL
CAPACITY (LBS) STRONG-TIE PRODUCTS
TENSION (CLASS B SPLICE) COMPRESSION
A 800 HGA10 HGA10
BAR f'c=3000 psi f'c=4000 psi f'c=5000 psi 3000, 4000 & 5000 psi
SIZE B 1,850 SSTB16 AND BPS 5/8-6* STB16 **
TOP OTHER TOP OTHER TOP OTHER C 1,500 2-MTS12 2-MTW12
3 21 16 21 16 21 16 12 D 1,500 HETA16 HTA16
4 23 17 21 16 21 16 15 E 800 HGAM10 HGAM10
5 28 21 24 18 23 17 19 F 1,500 LGT2 LUGT2
G 1,700 2-SP6 2-SPT6
6 34 26 29 22 26 20 23
H 1,700 HETA 16 OR PAI23 2-HTA12
7 52 40 45 34 41 31 26
J 4,500 HDU8-SDS2.5 PHD8
8 62 47 54 41 49 37 30
NOTES:
DEVELOPMENT LENGTHS (INCHES) * THE PLATE WASHER SHALL BE CENTERED ON THE BOTTOM
PLATE WITH A STANDARD CUT WASHER BETWEEN THE PLATE
TENSION (CLASS B SPLICE) COMPRESSION WASHER AND NUT. WHEN IN CONTACT WITH PRESERVATIVE
BAR f'c=3000 psi f'c=4000 psi f'c=5000 psi 3000, 4000 & 5000 psi TREATED PLATE, IT IS RECOMMENDED TO INSTALL HOT-DIPPED
SIZE GALVANIZED (HDG) FINISH.
TOP OTHER TOP OTHER TOP OTHER ** AT TIME OF PUBLICATION, NO EQUIVALENT USP CONNECTOR
3 25 17 22 15 19 13 8 AVAILABLE. PLATE WASHER MAY BE FABRICATED FROM 3 GAGE
STEEL: 3" LONG x 4 1/2" WIDE
4 33 22 29 19 26 17 11
5 42 28 36 24 32 22 14 BECAUSE NOT ALL CONTRACTORS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE TYPE
MASONRY DEVELOPMENT AND SPLICE LENGTHS OF STRUCTURAL CONNECTORS SHOWN IN THESE DRAWINGS,
6 50 33 43 29 39 26 16 THE NAMES OF TWO COMPANIES THAT MANUFACTURE
BAR TENSION / COMPRESSION
7 72 48 63 42 56 37 19 CONNECTORS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS TABLE. THE LIST OF
SIZE 6" MASONRY 8" MASONRY COMPANIES IS NOT, HOWEVER, EXHAUSTIVE. ADDITIONALLY, THIS
8 82 55 71 47 64 42 22 LIST IS NOT INTENDED TO EXPRESS A PREFERENCE FOR THOSE
3 12 12 MANUFACTURERS AND / OR THEIR PRODUCTS BY THE UNITED
NOTES:
4 20 15 STATES GOVERNMENT NOR IS IT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THOSE
1. TOP BARS ARE HORIZONTAL REINFORCEMENT PLACED SO THAT MORE THAN MANUFACTURERS AND / OR THEIR PRODUCTS.
12" OF FRESH CONCRETE IS CAST BELOW THE REINFORCEMENT. 5 32 23
2. LAP SPLICE LENGTHS ARE BASED ON BARS SPACED AT 4 BAR DIAMETERS USE ONLY HARDWARE THAT HAVE BEEN EVALUATED THROUGH
6 54 43
OR MORE ON CENTER. NOTIFY ENGINEER IF SPACING IS LESS THAN 4 BAR AN ANSI-APPROVED PRODUCT CERTIFICATION BODY SUCH AS
DIAMETERS. IAPMO-OES OR ICC-ES.
6 CONCRETE DEVELOPMENT AND SPLICE TABLE 5 MASONRY DEVELOPMENT & SPLICE LENGTHS 4 WOOD CONSTRUCTION CONNECTOR SCHEDULE
SR0.3 SR0.3 SR0.3
FOOTING SCHEDULE
WALL TYPE ROOF TYPE FOOTING SIZE REINFORCEMENT
ROOF DESIGN OPTIONS
WOOD FRAME WOOD 4'-0" x 1'-6" x CONT (5) #5 BAR x CONT LONG. AND #5 BAR x 3'-6" TRANS AT 12" OC
MATERIAL SPAN 8 FT ≤ 10 FT ≤ 12 FT ≤ 14 FT WOOD / CMU INFILL WOOD 3'-0" x 1'-3" x CONT (4) #5 BAR x CONT LONG. AND #5 BAR x 2'-6" TRANS AT 12" OC
CONCRETE THICKNESS 4" 6" 6" 6"
CONCRETE 6" CMU WOOD OR CONCRETE 2'-3" x 1'-0" x CONT (4) #5 BAR x CONT LONG. AND #5 BAR x 1'-9" TRANS AT 12" OC
REINFORCEMENT #4 BAR EW AT 10" OC #5 BAR EW AT 12" OC #5 BAR EW AT 6" OC #5 BAR EW AT 6" OC
8" CMU WOOD OR CONCRETE 2'-0" x 1'-0" x CONT (3) #5 BAR x CONT LONG. AND #5 BAR x 1'-6" TRANS AT 12" OC
WOOD JOIST(S) (2) 2x6 AT 12" OC (2) 2x8 AT 12" OC (2) 2x10 AT 12" OC (2) 2x10 AT 12" OC
WOOD 2'-3" x 1'-3" x CONT (4) #5 BAR x CONT LONG. AND #5 BAR x 1'-9" TRANS AT 12" OC
CONCRETE
NOTES: CONCRETE 2'-0" x 1'-0" x CONT (3) #5 BAR x CONT LONG. AND #5 BAR x 1'-6" TRANS AT 12" OC
1. WOOD FRAMED SAFE ROOMS CAN ONLY USE WOOD FRAMED ROOF DESIGNS
2. WHEN USING WOOD ROOF WITH CONCRETE, CMU, OR ICF WALLS, SHEATHING MUST BE INSTALLED ON INTERIOR OF CEILING AS WOOD 2'-3" x 1'-3" x CONT (4) #5 BAR x CONT LONG. AND #5 BAR x 1'-9" TRANS AT 12" OC
SHOWN ON DETAIL 9/SR1.0 ICF
CONCRETE 2'-0" x 1'-0" x CONT (3) #5 BAR x CONT LONG. AND #5 BAR x 1'-6" TRANS AT 12" OC
3 ROOF DESIGN OPTIONS 2 FOOTING SCHEDULE

SR0.3 SR0.3
WALL REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULE
WALL REINFORCEMENT OPENING REINFORCEMENT
WALL TYPE NOTES
VERTICAL HORIZONTAL VERTICAL (JAMB) HORIZONTAL (HEADER)
6" CMU (1) #5 BAR AT 16" OC REINFORCEMENT PER GENERAL NOTES (1) #5 BAR PER CELL OVER 2'-0" * 16" BOND BEAM w/ (1) #5 BAR TOP AND BTM 3
8" CMU (1) #5 BAR AT 40" OC REINFORCEMENT PER GENERAL NOTES (1) #5 BAR PER CELL OVER 2'-0" * 16" BOND BEAM w/ (1) #5 BAR TOP AND BTM 2
6" CONCRETE #4 BAR AT 12" OC #4 BAR AT 12" OC (3) #5 BAR AT 6" OC * (1) #5 BAR TOP AND BTM 2
4" ICF #4 BAR AT 12" OC #4 BAR AT 12" OC (3) #5 BAR AT 6" OC * (1) #5 BAR TOP AND BTM 1,2
FEMA P-320 (2014)
SHEET TITLE:
6" ICF #4 BAR AT 12" OC #4 BAR AT 12" OC (3) #5 BAR AT 6" OC * (1) #5 BAR TOP AND BTM 1,2 TABLES
NOTES:
1. ICF WALL THICKNESS REFERS TO THE CONCRETE THICKNESS OF THE ICF WALL, NOT THE TOTAL THICKNESS OF THE WALL.
DRAWING NO:
2. REFERENCE SPLICE TABLE FOR EXTENSION OF HEADER REINFORCEMENT PAST OPENING. SR0.3 Sheet: 4 of 12
3. 6" CMU WALLS CAN ONLY BE USED ON SAFE ROOMS 8'-0"x8'-0" OR SMALLER
* AT 1'-4" WALL END, THIRD BAR MAY BE SET IN ADJACENT WALL DATE: DECEMBER 2014
REVISIONS
1 WALL REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULE

SR0.3 Copyright © 2014
1' - 0" 4' - 0" DO NOT ATTACH SHELTER
CENTERLINE OF STEP CEILING TO FLOOR OR
#5 DOWEL AT 12" OC CEILING ABOVE
SEE SCHEDULE CONCRETE ROOF, SEE
3" CLR
CONNECTOR "E" TYP, CONCRETE ROOF, SEE
2/SR0.3 FOR SIZE AND #5 NOSING BAR, TYP SCHEDULE 3/SR0.3 FOR
SEE SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3 CEILING JOIST, SEE SCHEDULE 3/SR0.3 FOR
REINFORCING TO FOOTING THICKNESS & REINFORCING
CONNECTOR "D" SEE SCHEDULE 3/SR0.3 FOR THICKNESS & REINFORCING
NOTE SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3 SIZING AND SPACING
2xPT RIM BOARD
LAP 3" CLR
SPLICE AS #4 BAR AT 16" OC (SEE GENERAL
NOTES FOR SPLICE LENGTHS) BOND BEAM PER GENERAL NOTES
3" MIN.
STANDARD 90 DEG REQ'D TO FOOTING BOND BEAM w/ (1) #5
HOOK, TYP MIN. TURN DOWN INTO WALL IS #4 BAR AT 16" OC (SEE GENERAL
LAP (USE #4 BAR IF USING 6" 14" (LONG) FROM BOTTOM OF
MASONRY UNITS) CEILING PER DETAIL 8 NOTES FOR SPLICE LENGTHS) MIN.
3" CLR SPLICE SHEET SR1.3 SLAB TURN DOWN INTO WALL IS 24"
3" CLR
NOTE (LONG) FROM BOTTOM OF SLAB

CMU, ICF OR CONCRETE
16" BOND BEAM w/ (1) #5 BAR TOP
WALL PER PLAN
AND BOTTOM (USE #4 BAR IF CMU WALL PER PLAN
USING 6" MASONRY UNITS)
SEE SCHEDULE 2/SR0.3 FOR SIZE AND REINFORCING
9 ALT WALL/CEILING CONNECTION 8 CMU SECTION AT DOOR BEAM 7 CMU SECTION AT TOP
DOWELS TO MATCH
FOOTING REINF SIZE NOTE: SPLICE TOP REINFORCING THE SAME AS BOTTOM WHERE TOP AND
AND QUANTITY BOTTOM REINFORCING IS INDICATED. SEE SCHEDULE 6/SR0.3
SR1.0 Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0" SR1.0 Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0" SR1.0 Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0"
10 TYPICAL FOOTING STEP #5 BAR CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS
REINFORCEMENT IN SAFE
CONCRETE SOG
SR1.0 Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0" CMU WALL BEYOND
PER GENERAL NOTES 1/2" CONCRETE ISOLATION JOINT ROOM WALLS, PER PLAN
CONTINUOUS BOND BEAM W/ (1) #5 CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE GROUT ALL CELLS
#5 VERT BARS AT EACH VERT REINFORCEMENT IN SAFE CONT. (USE #4 BAR IF #4 DOWEL AT 24" OC PER GENERAL NOTES SOLID
BAR LOCATION, ALTERNATE ROOM WALLS, PER PLAN USING 6" MASONRY UNITS) FINISH GRADE
TO SLAB TO SLAB
DIRECTION OF EVERY OTHER FINISH GRADE
BENT BAR CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE
8"
8"
MIN FROST DEPTH

PER GENERAL NOTES
PER CODE
CMU WALLSEE PLAN
MIN FROST DEPTH

CONTINUOUS
REINFORCEMENT IN #5 BAR CONTINUOUS
PER CODE
TO SLAB SAFE ROOM WALLS, #4 DOWEL AT 24" OC
PER PLAN
TO FOOTING TO FOOTING
.
#5 VERT BARS AT EACH #5 VERT BARS AT EACH VERT
.
3" CLR TYP
GROUT ALL CELLS VERT BAR LOCATION, BAR LOCATION, ALTERNATE

BELOW GRADE SOLID ALTERNATE DIRECTION DIRECTION OF EVERY OTHER
SEE SCHEDULE 2/SR0.3
CLR
CLR
3"
OF EVERY OTHER BENT
3"
8" .
8" FOR FOOTING SIZE AND SEE SCHEDULE 2/SR0.3 FOR BENT BAR
REINFORCING FOOTING SIZE AND REINFORCING . BAR . SEE SCHEDULE 2/SR0.3
FOR FOOTING SIZE AND
6 ALT CMU INTERIOR WALL THICKENED SLAB 5 CMU EXTERIOR WALL FOUNDATION AT DOOR 4 CMU EXTERIOR WALL FOUNDATION REINFORCING
8 8' - 0" MIN
SR1.0 REINFORCEMENT NOT 7 SAFE ROOM
DOOR BY 14' - 0" MAX
SHOWN FOR CLARITY SR1.0 8' - 0" MIN GROUT ALL
OTHERS CELLS SOLID,
TO WALL 14' - 0" MAX
TYP NOTE:
8' - 0" DOOR CONNECTION

MAX REQUIREMENTS IN 1. FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION SHALL BE
1' - 4"
ACCORDANCE w/ LESS THAN 5 FT ABOVE LOWEST
FOR JAMB REINF

DOOR MANUFACTURE FINISHED ADJACENT GRADE ELEVATION
2. SEE SR0.3 FOR SCHEDULES
3' - 4"
3
SR1.0
14' - 0" MAX
14' - 0" MAX

8' - 0" MIN
8' - 0" MIN

FOR REINF
REQUIREMENTS
PROVIDE (1) #5 VERTICAL

FINISH FLOOR BAR AT EVERY CORNER
0' - 0" AND ADJACENT CELL,
TYP
FEMA P-320 (2014)
SHEET TITLE:
CMU SAFE ROOM PLANS AND DETAILS
7 5/8" CMU
5 5/8" OR
REINFORCEMENT NOT
(TYP)
SHOWN FOR CLARITY
4 DRAWING NO:
SR1.0 5 5/8" OR FOOTING BELOW
5
7 5/8" CMU DATE: DECEMBER 2014
SR1.0
(TYP)
REVISIONS
3 CMU CROSS SECTION 2 CMU FLOOR PLAN 1 CMU FOUNDATION PLAN

SR1.0 Scale: 1/4" = 1'-0" SR1.0 Scale: 1/4" = 1'-0" SR1.0 Scale: 1/4" = 1'-0" Copyright © 2014
CONCRETE ROOF, SEE SCHEDULE
VARIES
CONCRETE ROOF, SEE SCHEUDLE 3/SR0.3 FOR THICKNESS &
VARIES
3/SR0.3 FOR THICKNESS & REINFORCING. SEE 9/SR1.0 FOR ALT
REINFORCING. SEE 9/SR1.0 FOR ALT WOOD ROOF CONNECTION
CIP WALL PER PLAN WOOD ROOF CONNECTION
LAP SPLICE PER
TABLE ON
CONCRETE OPTION
1' - 4" MIN

#4 BAR AT 16" OC (SEE GENERAL #4 BAR AT 16" OC (SEE GENERAL
NOTES FOR SPLICE LENGTHS) MIN. NOTES FOR SPLICE LENGTHS) MIN. CIP WALL
TURN DOWN INTO WALL IS 14" TURN DOWN INTO WALL IS 24" PER PLAN
CIP WALL (LONG) FROM BOTTOM OF SLAB (LONG) FROM BOTTOM OF SLAB
PER PLAN
9 CONC SECTION AT CORNER 8 CONC SECTION AT DOOR BEAM 7 CONC SECTION AT TOP
#5 BARS CONT 1/2" CONCRETE ISOLATION JOINT
WALL BEYOND #4 DOWEL AT 24" OC #5 BARS CONT
CIP WALL PER
CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE PER CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE PER
PLAN
FINISHED GRADE GENERAL NOTES TO SLAB GENERAL NOTES
#4 DOWEL AT 24" OC
TO SLAB
FINISHED GRADE
CIP WALL PER
8"
8"
MIN FROST DEPTH
PLAN
MIN FROST DEPTH

CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE CONT REINF IN SAFE ROOM
PER CODE
CONT REINF IN SAFE ROOM
PER CODE
PER GENERAL NOTES WALL PER PLAN
CIP WALL PER WALL PER PLAN
PLAN #5 BARS AT EACH VERT LOCATION,
ALTERNATE DIRECTION OF EVERY #5 BARS AT EACH VERT LOCATION,
TO FOOTING OTHER BENT BAR ALTERNATE DIRECTION OF EVERY
TO SLAB TO FOOTING
OTHER BENT BAR
.
.
.
3" CLR TYP
SEE SCHEDULE .
3" TYP
2/SR0.3 FOR FOOTING FOR FOOTING SIZE AND
.
MIN
3" TYP
8" 8"
MIN
.
SIZE AND REINFORCING

REINFORCING SEE SCHEDULE 2/SR0.3 FOR
FOOTING SIZE AND REINFORCING
6 ALT CONC INTERIOR WALL THICKENED SLAB 5 CONC EXTERIOR WALL FOUNDATION AT DOOR 4 CONC EXTERIOR WALL FOUNDATION
REINFORCEMENT NOT 8' - 0" MIN
SHOWN FOR CLARITY SAFE ROOM DOOR BY
OTHERS 14' - 0" MAX
7 8' - 0" MIN
DOOR CONNECTION
SR1.1 14' - 0" MAX REQUIREMENTS IN
TO WALL ACCORDANCE w/ DOOR
8' - 0" MANUFACTURE
1' - 4"
MAX
NOTE:
8 1. FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION SHALL BE
3' - 4"
SR1.1 LESS THAN 5 FT ABOVE LOWEST
CIP WALL FINISHED ADJACENT GRADE ELEVATION
3
PER PLAN 2. SEE SR0.3 FOR SCHEDULES
SR1.1
14' - 0" MAX
14' - 0" MAX

8' - 0" MIN
8' - 0" MIN

REINFORCEMENT NOT
SHOWN FOR CLARITY SEE SCHEDULE 1/SR0.3
FOR REINF REQUIREMENTS
5 4
SR1.1 SR1.1

FOR JAMB REINF
FINISH FLOOR
0' - 0"
FEMA P-320 (2014)
SHEET TITLE:
CONCRETE SAFE ROOM PLANS AND DETAILS
9
REINFORCEMENT NOT DRAWING NO:
SHOWN FOR CLARITY SR1.1 SR1.1 Sheet: 6 of 12
6" TYP FOOTING BELOW DATE: DECEMBER 2014
REVISIONS
3 CONCRETE CROSS SECTION 2 CONCRETE FLOOR PLAN 1 CONCRETE FOUNDATION PLAN

ON SR0.3 FOR CONC
THICKNESS
CONCRETE ROOF, SEE SCHEUDLE
3/SR0.3 FOR THICKNESS & CONCRETE ROOF, SEE SCHEDULE
VARIES
REINFORCING. SEE 9/SR1.0 FOR 3/SR0.3 FOR THICKNESS &
VARIES
ALT WOOD ROOF CONNECTION REINFORCING.SEE 9/SR1.0 FOR
ICF WALL PER PLAN ALT WOOD ROOF CONNECTION
LAP SPLICE PER ICF WALL PER

TABLE ON PLAN
CONCRETE OPTION
1' - 4"
#4 BAR AT 16" OC (SEE GENERAL
NOTES FOR SPLICE LENGTHS) MIN. #4 BAR AT 16" OC (SEE GENERAL ICF WALL PER
TURN DOWN INTO WALL IS 14" NOTES FOR SPLICE LENGTHS) MIN. PLAN
(LONG) FROM BOTTOM OF SLAB TURN DOWN INTO WALL IS 24"
(LONG) FROM BOTTOM OF SLAB
9 ICF CORNER DETAIL 8 ICF SECTION AT DOOR BEAM 7 ICF SECTION AT TOP
#5 BARS CONT
#4 DOWEL AT 24" OC 1/2" CONCRETE ISOLATION JOINT ICF WALL PER
WALL BEYOND
#5 BARS CONT PLAN
CONT REINF IN SAFE ROOM CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE PER
FINISHED GRADE GENERAL NOTES TO SLAB CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE PER
WALL PER PLAN #4 DOWEL AT 24" OC
GENERAL NOTES
#5 BARS AT EACH VERT TO SLAB
LOCATION, ALTERNATE ICF WALL PER FINISHED GRADE
8"
PLAN
MIN FROST DEPTH

DIRECTION OF EVERY OTHER
8"
ICF WALL PER BENT BAR
MIN FROST DEPTH

PER CODE
PLAN CONT REINF IN SAFE ROOM WALL PER PLAN
CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE
CONT REINF IN SAFE ROOM
PER CODE
TO SLAB PER GENERAL NOTES #5 BARS AT EACH VERT LOCATION, ALTERNATE
DIRECTION OF EVERY OTHER BENT BAR WALL PER PLAN
TO FOOTING #5 BARS AT EACH VERT LOCATION,
ALTERNATE DIRECTION OF EVERY
TO FOOTING
.
OTHER BENT BAR
.
3" CLR TYP

8" .
8" FOR FOOTING SIZE AND . SEE SCHEDULE 2/SR0.3
REINFORCING FOR FOOTING SIZE AND SEE SCHEDULE 2/SR0.3 FOR
3" TYP
3" TYP
REINFORCING
MIN
MIN
FOOTING SIZE AND REINFORCING
.
6 ALT ICF INTERIOR WALL THICKENED SLAB 5 ICF EXTERIOR WALL FOUNDATION AT DOOR 4 ICF EXTERIOR WALL FOUNDATION
REINFORCEMENT NOT 7 8' - 0" MIN
SHOWN FOR CLARITY
SR1.2 14' - 0" MAX
8' - 0" MIN SAFE ROOM DOOR BY
TO WALL OTHERS
14' - 0" MAX
8' - 0" DOOR CONNECTION
8 MAX REQUIREMENTS IN
1' - 4"
SR1.2 ACCORDANCE w/ DOOR
MANUFACTURE NOTE:
1. FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION SHALL BE
ICF WALL PER PLAN LESS THAN 5 FT ABOVE LOWEST
FINISHED ADJACENT GRADE ELEVATION
3' - 4"
3 2. SEE SR0.3 FOR SCHEDULES
SR1.2
14' - 0" MAX
14' - 0" MAX

8' - 0" MIN
8' - 0" MIN

FOR REINF REQUIREMENTS
5
SR1.2
FINISH FLOOR
FEMA P-320 (2014)

0' - 0"
FOR JAMB REINF

SHEET TITLE:
ICF SAFE ROOM PLANS AND DETAILS
DRAWING NO:
4 REINFORCEMENT NOT
9 SR1.2 Sheet: 7 of 12
SR1.2
REINFORCEMENT NOT SR1.2 SHOWN FOR CLARITY 4" OR 6" TYP DATE: DECEMBER 2014
SHOWN FOR CLARITY SEE 9/SR1.2 FOOTING BELOW
REVISIONS
3 ICF CROSS SECTION 2 ICF FLOOR PLAN 1 ICF FOUNDATION PLAN

DO NOT ATTACH SAFE
ROOM CEILING TO FLOOR CONNECTOR "F" SEE
OR CEILING ABOVE SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3
WOOD JOIST, SEE SCHEDULE
NOTE: CONNECTOR "A" TYP,
3/SR0.3 FOR MEMBER SIZE
WOOD ROOF WITH EXTERIOR SHEATHING NOT TO BE USED ON CONCRETE, CMU, OR ICF WALL TYPES SEE SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3 INTERIOR CONNECTOR B (TYP) AT 24"
AND SPACING
2x RIM JOIST OF SAFE OC AND W/IN 12" OF DOOR
BLOCKING AT QUARTER ROOM OPENING, SEE SCHEDULE
DO NOT ATTACH SAFE ROOM POINTS DBL 2"x6" TOP PLATE, NO 4/SR0.3
CEILING TO FLOOR OR CEILING (2) LAYERS 3/4" PLYWOOD CONNECTOR "J" SEE
CONTINUOUS TO INSIDE SPLICING PERMITTED 2"x6" NAILER CONNECTED
ABOVE SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3
CORNER CONNECTOR B (TYP) w/ 16d NAILS AT 12" OC
SPLICE SECOND LAYER
WOOD JOIST, SEE SCHEDULE 14 GA STEEL SHEATHING (2) LAYERS 3/4" PLYWOOD OF SHEATHING HERE IF AT 24" OC AND WITHIN
3/SR0.3 FOR MEMBER SIZE CONTINUOUS TO INSIDE CONTINUOUS TO INSIDE NEEDED 12" OF CONNECTOR
AND SPACING CORNER "J" AND W/IN 12" OF QUAD 2"x6" CORNER
CORNER SEE WOOD WALL BASE
DOOR OPENING STUDS
14 GA STEEL SHEATHING PLAN FOR WALL
2"x6" NAILER
CONTINUOUS TO INSIDE REQUIREMENTS
CONNECTED w/ 16d
CORNER
NAILS AT 12" OC
BLOCKING AT QUARTER
POINTS
9 WOOD CEILING ALTERNATE (WOOD FRAME SAFE ROOM ONLY) 8 WOOD CEILING ATTACHMENT 7 WOOD WALL CORNER PLAN
WALL BEYOND #5 BARS CONT
#4 DOWEL AT 24" OC CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE PER SEE WOOD WALL BASE PLAN STUD WALL PER PLAN
CONNECTOR "A" TYP AT GENERAL NOTES FOR WALL REQUIREMENTS
EACH STUD, SEE SHEATHING SEE SR2.1
#5 BARS CONT
SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3 FINISHED GRADE TO SLAB
CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE
STUD TO SILLPLATE PER GENERAL NOTES #4 DOWEL AT 24" OC
8"
CONNECTOR "G" (TYP) SEE 8" CONCRETE TO SLAB FINISHED GRADE
SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3 WALL
2' - 6" MIN

#5 BARS AT 18" OC
8"
#5 BARS AT 18" OC
(1) LAYER 3/4" PLYWOOD #5 BARS AT 18" OC, ALTERNATE
(2) LAYERS 3/4" DIRECTION OF EVERY OTHER BENT BAR #5 BARS AT 18" OC, ALTERNATE
2' - 6" MIN

PLYWOOD TO FOOTING DIRECTION OF EVERY OTHER BENT BAR
SEE SR2.1 8" CONCRETE
WALL
CONNECTOR "B" TYP AT TO FOOTING
.
24" OC AND W/IN 12" OF DBL 2"x6" STUDS AT
DOOR OPENING, SEE 12" OC, NAILED AT
4/SR0.3 6" OC, STAGGERED
.
14 GA STEEL ON EACH SIDE w/ .
16d NAILS
3" TYP
SHEATHING
MIN
SEE SCHEDULE 2/SR0.3 SEE SCHEDULE 2/SR0.3
CONTINUOUS
3" TYP
FOR FOOTING SIZE AND FOR FOOTING SIZE AND
MIN
SEE SR2.1
.
REINFORCING REINFORCING
6 WOOD WALL BASE PLAN VIEW 5 WOOD EXTERIOR WALL FOUNDATION AT DOOR 4 WOOD EXTERIOR WALL FOUNDATION
8' - 0" MIN
8' - 0" MIN
TO WALL 14' - 0" MAX NOTE:
14' - 0" MAX SAFE ROOM DOOR BY OTHERS 1. FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION SHALL BE
8' - 0" LESS THAN 5 FT ABOVE LOWEST
BLOCKING AT MAX DOOR CONNECTION FINISHED ADJACENT GRADE ELEVATION
1' - 0"
QUARTER REQUIREMENTS IN 2. SEE SR0.3 FOR SCHEDULES
POINTS 8 ACCORDANCE w/ DOOR
SR1.3 MANUFACTURE
8 SIM
SR1.4 BLOCKING AT
SHEATHING JOINT 3
3' - 4"
LOCATIONS, REFER TO SR1.3
14' - 0" MAX
14' - 0" MAX

SHEATHING
8' - 0" MIN
8' - 0" MIN

REQUIREMENTS SHEET 6
5 SR1.3 (4) 2x6 STUDS
SR1.3 4 EACH SIDE OF
SR1.3 LOCATE DOOR DOOR
ALONG LONGEST
WALL 7 FEMA P-320 (2014)
FINISH FLOOR SR1.3
0' - 0" SHEET TITLE:
WOOD FRAME SAFE ROOM PLANS AND DETAILS
REINFORCEMENT
DRAWING NO:
NOT SHOWN FOR
CLARITY
DATE: DECEMBER 2014
FOOTING BELOW REVISIONS
3 WOOD CROSS SECTION 2 WOOD FLOOR PLAN 1 WOOD FRAME FOUNDATION PLAN
SEE WOOD / CMU DO NOT ATTACH SAFE ROOM CEILING
INFILL WALL BASE TO FLOOR OR CEILING ABOVE
INTERIOR CONNECTOR "F" SEE
PLAN FOR WALL WOOD JOIST, SEE SCHEDULE 3/SR0.3
OF SAFE SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3
REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBER SIZE AND SPACING
ROOM
CONNECTOR B (TYP) CMU FILLER, 2x RIM JOIST
CONNECTOR "J" SEE AT 24" OC NOT AT SIM BLOCKING AT QUARTER
SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3 POINTS CONNECTOR "A" SEE
2"x6" NAILER CONNECTED SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3
CONNECTOR "B" (TYP) w/ 16d NAILS AT 12" OC
SPLICE SECOND LAYER
AT 24" OC AND WITHIN INTERIOR OF SHEATHING HERE IF
12" OF CONNECTOR OF SAFE (2) LAYERS 3/4" PLYWOOD NEEDED
"J" SEE SCHEDULE QUAD 2"x6" CORNER ROOM CONTINUOUS TO INSIDE
4/SR0.3 STUDS DBL 2"x6" TOP PLATE, NO
(3) 2x6 HEADER w/ (2) 1/2" CORNER
2"x6" NAILER SPLICING PERMITTED
LAYERS OF PLYWOOD 14 GA STEEL SHEATHING
CONNECTED w/ 16d
CONTINUOUS TO INSIDE SEE WOOD / CMU INFILL
NAILS AT 12" OC 1/8" FURRING STRIP CORNER WALL BASE PLAN FOR
WALL REQUIREMENTS
9 WOOD / CMU INFILL CORNER PLAN 8 WOOD / CMU INFILL DOOR HEAD 7 WOOD / CMU INFILL CEILING ATTACHMENT
SEE WOOD / CMU INFILL
6" SOLID MASONRY DRY WALL BASE PLAN FOR
STACKED VERTICALLY WALL REQUIREMENTS
WALL BEYOND #5 BARS CONT SHEATHING SEE
#5 BARS CONT SR2.1
6" SOLID MASONRY CONNECTOR "A" TYP, SEE #4 DOWEL AT 24" OC CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE PER
DRY STACKED GENERAL NOTES CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE PER #4 DOWEL AT 24" OC
SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3 GENERAL NOTES
VERTICALLY
FINISHED GRADE TO SLAB
STUD TO SILLPLATE (2) LAYERS 3/4" TO SLAB FINISHED GRADE
CONNECTOR "G" (TYP) PLYWOOD SEE S2.1
8"
8"
8" CONCRETE
1/8" FURRING STRIP WALL FINISH WALL 8" CONCRETE
WALL
2' - 6" MIN

ATTACH TO FACE OF #5 BARS AT 18" OC
2' - 6" MIN

#5 BARS AT 18" OC
DBL 2x6
#5 BARS AT 18" OC, ALTERNATE #5 BARS AT 18" OC, ALTERNATE
1' - 0" O.C.
DIRECTION OF EVERY OTHER BENT BAR DIRECTION OF EVERY OTHER BENT

CONNECTOR "B" TYP AT TO FOOTING
24" OC, AND W/IN 12" OF BAR TO FOOTING
DOOR OPENINGS, SEE DBL 2"x6" STUDS AT 12" OC,
SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3 NAILED AT 6" OC, STAGGERED
.
ON EACH SIDE w/ 16d NAILS
(1) LAYER 3/4"
PLYWOOD NOTE:
USE EXPANSION FOAM TO FILL .
SEE SCHEDULE
2/SR0.3 FOR SIZE SEE SCHEDULE 2/SR0.3 .
ALL SPACES AROUND CMU
3" TYP
3" TYP
FOR SIZE AND
MIN
DBL 2x6 SILL PLATE AND REINFORCING
MIN
BELOW BLOCK REINFORCING
6 WOOD / CMU INFILL BASE PLAN 5 WOOD / CMU INFILL EXTERIOR WALL FND AT DOOR 4 WOOD / CMU INFILL EXTERIOR WALL FND
8' - 0" MIN

8' - 0" MIN
TO WALL 14' - 0" MAX
14' - 0" MAX SAFE ROOM DOOR BY
8' - 0" OTHERS NOTE:
MAX DOOR CONNECTION 1. FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION SHALL BE
1' - 0"
BLOCKING AT
QUARTER REQUIREMENTS IN LESS THAN 5 FT ABOVE LOWEST
8 POINTS ACCORDANCE w/ FINISHED ADJACENT GRADE ELEVATION
SR1.4 7 DOOR MANUFACTURE 2. SEE SR0.3 FOR SCHEDULES
SR1.4
3' - 4"
SR1.4
14' - 0" MAX
14' - 0" MAX

8' - 0" MIN
8' - 0" MIN

5 4 (4) 2x6 STUDS
SR1.4 SR1.4 6 EACH SIDE OF
LOCATE DOOR SR1.4 DOOR
ALONG LONGEST
WALL 9
FINISH FLOOR SR1.4 FEMA P-320 (2014)
0' - 0" SHEET TITLE:
WOOD / CMU INFILL FRAME SAFE ROOM AND
REINFORCEMENT NOT DETAILS
SHOWN FOR CLARITY DRAWING NO:
FOOTING BELOW DATE: DECEMBER 2014
REVISIONS
3 WOOD / CMU INFILL CROSS SECTION 2 WOOD / CMU INFILL FLOOR PLAN 1 WOOD / CMU INFILL FOUNDATION PLAN
CMU, ICF, OR
CONCRETE SAFE ROOM REINFORCE INTERSECTION
WALL VERTICALLY w/ #5 BARS AT 16" OC, WOOD SAFE ROOM WALL
CONNECT WOOD SAFE ROOM WALL
INSERT INTO EACH WALL MIN 24"
TO FND WALL w/ 1/2" DIA ANCHOR
BOLTS AT 24" OC, MIN 2 1/8"
EMBEDMENT (EXPANSION OR EPOXY
SET)
1' - 0"
1' - 0"
REINFORCE WALL A MINIMUM REINFORCE WALL A
OF 1'-0" BEYOND SAFE ROOM MINIMUM OF 1'-0" BEYOND
INTERIOR WALL SAFE ROOM INTERIOR WALL
5 ALTERNATIVE CMU SAFE ROOM TO FOUNDATION WALL 4 ALTERNATIVE WOOD SAFE ROOM TO FOUNDATION WALL
SR1.5 Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0" SR1.5 Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0"
CONNECTOR EACH JOIST

PAIR "H" SEE SCHEDULE CONNECTOR "H" EACH
4/SR0.3 JOIST PAIR SEE SCHEDULE BOND BEAM BY OTHERS
2"x12" PT LEDGER BOARD 4/SR0.3
SAFE ROOM CEILING ATTACHED TO FOUNDATION
SYSTEM PER PLAN SAFE ROOM CEILING 2"x12" PT LEDGER BOARD ATTACHED
WALLS WITH 1/2" EXPANSION OR SYSTEM PER PLAN
SHEETS EPOXY A.B. TO RESIST 1,300 LBS, TO FOUNDATION WALLS WITH 1/2"
SHEETS EXPANSION OR EPOXY A.B. TO
INSTALL AT 16" OC
RESIST 1,300 LBS INSTALL AT 16" OC
1' - 0" MIN
CONNECTOR "C" SEE CONNECTOR "C" SEE

SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3 SCHEDULE 4/SR0.3
8" BOND BEAM w/ (1) #5 BAR
AT BEARING ELEVATION
REINFORCED
CAST IN PLACE CONCRETE CMU AND
WALL AND FOOTING BY OTHERS CONCRETE
MINIMUM REINF SHALL BE #4 MINIMUM REINF SHALL BE #5 BARS AT 24" 2 WALLS
BARS AT 12" OC, EW, FULL VERTICAL REINFORCEMENT OC VERTICALLY. INSTALL HORIZONTAL VERTICAL REINFORCEMENT SR1.5
HEIGHT, CONSULT w/ LOCAL CONTINUOUS TO FOOTING REINFORCING PER GENERAL NOTES. CONTINUOUS TO FOOTING
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER FOR AND PROPERLY INTEGRATED GROUT WALLS SOLID FULL HEIGHT PER AND PROPERLY INTEGRATED
w/ FOOTING REINFORCEMENT w/ FOOTING REINFORCEMENT 3
ADDITIONAL REINFORCEMENT GENERAL NOTES, CONSULT w/ LOCAL SR1.5
CRITERIA FOR NON SAFE ROOM PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER FOR
LOADS ADDITIONAL REINFORCEMENT CRITERIA SEE SR1.1 AND SR1.4
CMU WALL (8" MIN) AND
FOR NON SAFE ROOM LOADS FOR SAFE ROOM WALL, 4 5
FOOTING BY OTHERS
FOUNDATION, AND SR1.5 SR1.5
CEILING DETAILS
1' - 0" MIN

3 ALTERNATIVE CIP FOUNDATION ELEVATION 2 ALTERNATIVE CMU FOUNDATION ELEVATION 1 CORNER SAFEROOM PARTIAL PLAN
FEMA P-320 (2014)
SHEET TITLE:
DETAILS FOR SAFE ROOMS THAT USE
BASEMENT WALLS
DRAWING NO:
SR1.5 Sheet:10 of 12
DATE: DECEMBER 2014
REVISIONS
Copyright © 2014
8' - 0" MIN
RIM JOIST
14' - 0" MAX
DBL 2x6 TOP PLATE
2ND LAYER = 3/4" PLYWOOD, 1ST LAYER = 3/4" PLYWOOD,

MINIMALLY SECURED w/ 1/4" x MINIMALLY SECURED w/ 1/4"
1 1/2" SELF-TAPPING SCREWS x 3" SELF-TAPPING SCREWS
OR DRILL AND SECURE w/ #6 x OR DRILL AND SECURE w/ #8
1 1/2" WOOD DECK SCREWS x 3" WOOD DECK SCREWS
WALL HEIGHT VARIES

OR 8d NAILS TO HOLD IN OR 8d NAILS TO HOLD IN
PLACE. PLACE.
8' - 0" MAX

3RD LAYER = 14 GAGE STEEL 2x6 SOLID WOOD BLOCKING AT
SHEATHING, PRE-DRILL AND PLYWOOD JOINTS
SECURE w/ #8 x 3" WOOD DECK
SCREWS OR 16d NAILS, DBL 2x6 STUDS SPACED
SPACED PER SHEATHING PER PLANS
ATTACHMENT SCHEDULE
DBL 2x6 BOTTOM PLATE
3RD LAYER 2ND LAYER 1ST LAYER
2 PLYWOOD SHEATHING ATTACHMENT PATTERN FOR PROTECTION LAYERS ON INTERIOR OF SAFE ROOM
SR2.1 Scale: 3/8" = 1'-0" 8' - 0" MIN
14' - 0" MAX RIM JOIST
DBL 2x6 TOP PLATE
2ND LAYER = 3/4" PLYWOOD, 1ST LAYER = 14 GAGE STEEL

MINIMALLY SECURED w/ 1/4" x SHEATHING, MINIMALLY
1 1/2" SELF-TAPPING SCREWS SECURED w/ 1/4" x 1" SELF-
OR DRILL AND SECURE w/ #6 x TAPPING SCREWS OR DRILL
1 1/2" WOOD DECK SCREWS AND SECURE w/ #6 x 1 1/2"
OR 8d NAILS TO HOLD IN WOOD DECK SCREWS OR 8d
PLACE.
WALL HEIGHT VARIES

NAILS TO HOLD IN PLACE.
8' - 0" MAX

2x6 SOLID WOOD BLOCKING AT
3RD LAYER = 3/4" PLYWOOD, PLYWOOD JOINTS
SECURED w/ 1/4" x 3" SELF-
TAPPING SCREWS OR DRILL
AND SECURE w/ #8 x 3" DBL 2x6 STUDS SPACED
WOOD DECK SCREWS OR PER PLANS
16d NAILS, SPACED PER
SHEATHING ATTACHMENT
SCHEDULE DBL 2x6 BOTTOM PLATE
3RD LAYER 2ND LAYER 1ST LAYER
1 PLYWOOD SHEATHING ATTACHMENT PATTERN FOR PROTECTION LAYERS ON EXTERIOR OF SAFE ROOM
SR2.1 Scale: 3/8" = 1'-0"
SHEATHING ATTACHMENT SCHEDULE
#8x3" WOOD DECK 1/4"x3" SELF NOTE:
SHEATHING LEGEND WALL LENGTH 16d NAILS 1. SHEATHING ATTACHMENT VARIES BASED ON WALL LENGTH, SEE
SCREWS TAPPING SCREWS
ATTACHMENT SCHEDULE FOR PROPER SPACING.
- 1st LAYER INTERIOR PLYWOOD SHEATHING
2" OC AT EDGES 2" OC AT EDGES 3" OC AT EDGES 2. PROTECTION LAYERS ARE TO BE INSTALLED ALTERNATING THE FEMA P-320 (2014)
3rd LAYER EXTERIOR PLYWOOD SHEATHING 3'-6" TO 5'-0"
6" OC IN FIELD 6" OC IN FIELD 6" OC IN FIELD LONG AXIS OF THE MATERIAL FROM HORIZONTAL TO VERTICAL. SHEET TITLE:
3. MINIMUM UNBROKEN WALL LENGTH IS 3' - 6". SHEATHING REQUIREMENTS & WOOD FRAME
5'-1" TO 7'-0" 3" OC AT EDGES 3" OC AT EDGES 4" OC AT EDGES 4. WITH CMU INFILL OPTION, OMIT STEEL LAYER AND INSTALL 2ND
- 2nd LAYER PLYWOOD SHEATHING 6" OC IN FIELD 6" OC IN FIELD 6" OC IN FIELD SAFE ROOM WITH STEEL SHEATHING
LAYER PER ATTACHMENT OF FINAL LAYER REQUIREMENTS
4" OC AT EDGES 4" OC AT EDGES 6" OC AT EDGES DRAWING NO:
- 3rd LAYER INTERIOR STEEL SHEATHING
7'-1" TO 14'-0"
6" OC IN FIELD 6" OC IN FIELD 6" OC IN FIELD
5. MINIMUM SHEATHING PIECE WIDTH OF 1' - 0". EXCEPTION:
SECOND LAYER OF DETAIL 1/SR2.1 MAY REQUIRE UPPER
1st LAYER EXTERIOR STEEL SHEATHING NOTE:
SHEATHING PIECE WIDTH TO BE 7", 8-3/4", OR 10-3/4" DEPENDING DATE: DECEMBER 2014
ON JOIST DEPTH.
FOR PRE-DRILLED OPTION, ONLY PRE-DRILL THROUGH SHEATHING, REVISIONS
6. SHEATHING MAY BE INSTALLED ON INSIDE OR OUTSIDE FACE.
DO NOT PRE-DRILL BASE MATERIAL
SINGLE LAYER TO BE INSTALLED ON OPPOSITE FACE.
Copyright © 2014
TORNADO RESIDENTIAL SAFE ROOM PASSIVE VENTILATION
PASSIVE VENTILATION AREA REQUIRED MINIMUM NUMBER OF PIPE VENTS
TORNADO SAFE ROOM OCCUPANCY
(INCHES SQUARED) PER DETAIL 1
1 4* 2
2 4** 2
3 6** 2
4 8** 3
5 10** 4
6 12** 4
7 14** 5
8 16** 6 2" DIA PIPE VENTILATED PLACE PIPE FLUSH

OUTSIDE SAFE ROOM WITH INSIDE WALL
9 18** 6 SPACE WITH ELBOW SURFACE
FACING DOWN
10 20** 7
11 22** 8
12 24** 8
13 26** 9
14 28** 9 INTERIOR
OF SAFE
15 30** 10 SAFE ROOM WALL
ROOM
16 32** 11 FEMA P-320 (2014)
*PER ICC 500 SECTION 702.1 EXCEPTION, AIR INTAKE OPENING(S) MUST BE INSTALLED A MINIMUM OF 72" ABOVE SAFE ROOM SHEET TITLE:
FLOOR. WHEN INSTALLED ONLY IN UPPER PORTION, EXCEPTION REQUIRES 4 SQUARE INCHES PER OCCUPANT EXHAUST / VENTILATION DETAILS
**PASSIVE VENTILATION AREA PER ICC 500 SECTION 702.1 AND ASSUMES AIR INTAKE OPENINGS ARE DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN
DRAWING NO:
THE UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS OF SAFE ROOM AS SPECIFIED THEREIN; AREA AND RESULTING NUMBER OF VENTS
REQUIRED MUST BE DOUBLED WHEN AIR INTAKE OPENINGS ARE INSTALLED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE UPPER PORTION AS
PROVIDED PER EXCEPTION IN SECTION 702.1. DATE: DECEMBER 2014
REVISIONS
CONSULT W/ LOCAL BUILDING OFFICIAL AND REFER TO ICC 500 SECTION 306.3 AND 306.4 FOR OPENING PROTECTIVE
REQUIREMENTS 1 PASSIVE VENTILATION DETAIL FOR EXTERIOR WALL
SR2.2 Scale: 3/4" = 1'-0" Copyright © 2014

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What are some of the hazards discussed in the document?

What are some of the hazards discussed in the document?

What are the requirements for passive ventilation in tornado safe rooms?

What are the requirements for passive ventilation in tornado safe rooms?

Taking Shelter

from the Storm

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is pleased to have this

Other positive developments include but are not limited to:

•• The construction of tens of thousands of safe rooms with private funds.

•• The International Code Council’s (ICC’s) release of a consensus standard on the

Acronyms .................................................................................................................................................................. vii

Chapter 1.. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 1

Chapter 2. Understanding the Hazards..................................................................................................................... 5

2.3 Effects of Extreme Winds on a Building.......................................................................................10

2.4 Do You Need a Safe Room?............................................................................................................11

2.5 Assessing Your Risk.........................................................................................................................13

Chapter 3. Planning Your Safe Room...................................................................................................................... 15

3.1 Design Basis.................................................................................................................................... 15

3.2 Flood Hazard Siting and Elevation................................................................................................16

3.3 New versus Existing Homes or Buildings......................................................................................17

3.4 Safe Room Size................................................................................................................................19

3.5 Safe Room Locations..................................................................................................................... 20

3.6 Floor Plans Showing Possible Safe Room Locations................................................................... 23

3.7 Foundation Type............................................................................................................................ 26

3.9 Safe Room Doors............................................................................................................................ 30

3.10 Safe Room Cost.............................................................................................................................. 32

Chapter 4. Building Your Safe Room....................................................................................................................... 35

4.1 Design Drawings ............................................................................................................................ 35

4.2 How to Use the Drawings.............................................................................................................. 36

4.3 Consumer Guide............................................................................................................................ 38

4.4 Emergency Planning and Emergency Supply Kit........................................................................ 40

4.5 Additional Resources..................................................................................................................... 42

Chapter 5. Safe Rooms Save Lives............................................................................................................................ 43

Appendix B. Tornado Safe Room Door Fact Sheet.................................................................................................... 53

Figure 2‑3: Storm surge.................................................................................................................................................... 8

Figure 2‑5: Effect of extreme winds on building roof and walls..................................................................................10

Figure 3‑3: An above-ground safe room constructed as an addition to a slab-on-grade home in

Figure 3‑6: Floor Plan 1: Possible safe room locations in a basement......................................................................... 23

Figure 3‑7: Floor Plan 2: Home on a slab-on-grade or crawlspace foundation.......................................................... 23

Figure 3‑12: Cross-section: Typical crawlspace foundation with safe room................................................................. 29

Figure 4‑1: Seismic risk map.......................................................................................................................................... 39

Table 2-1: Safe Room Risk Based on Wind Zones ..........................................................................................................13

Table 4‑1: Design Drawings Index................................................................................................................................... 36

AHJ authority having jurisdiction

ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers

CMU concrete masonry unit

EF Scale Enhanced Fujita Scale

F Scale Fujita Scale

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

FLASH Federal Alliance for Safe Homes

HMGP Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

IBC International Building Code

ICC International Code Council

ICF insulated concrete form

IRC International Residential Code

MAT Mitigation Assessment Team

NEHRP National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration