FEMA recently released the fifth edition of FEMA P-320 (2021), “Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building or Installing a Safe Room for Your Home.”
This 86-page edition updates and refines criteria for how to design and construct a safe room for a one- or two-family dwelling that provides near-absolute protection from wind and wind-borne debris for occupants.
A safe room is a hardened structure specifically designed to meet FEMA
criteria and provide life-safety protection in extreme wind events,
including tornadoes and hurricanes.
To help decide if your home or business needs a safe room, ask yourself the below questions...
- What is my risk of tornadoes and/or hurricanes?
- What existing refuge options do I have if a tornado or hurricane occurs in my location?
- What level of safety am I comfortable with?
- How feasible is it to construct a safe room and what are the costs?
Updates from the International Code Council, the National Storm Shelter Association and the “ICC/NSSA Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters,” (ICC 500) are included in this edition.
Also, realize FEMA does not endorse, approve, certify or recommend any contractors, individuals, firms or products. Contractors, individuals, or firms shall not claim they or their products are "FEMA approved" or "FEMA certified." Any claims of compliance with FEMA P-361 and ICC 500 criteria should be verified through independent testing or engineering analysis.
The FEMA P-320 resource along with its design plans, can be downloaded from FEMA’s Safe Room Resources page and learn more about FEMA’s Safe Room Program at FEMA.gov.