Living in Cullman, Alabama, we are reminded of the 2011 tornado outbreak every time we drive through downtown. Much of it has been rebuilt, but there are several properties which are still vacant. Cement slabs are a harsh reminder of the destruction that a tornado can wreak in a matter of moments. Odds are always in your favor that you won't be hit by a tornado. Most people have only seen them on television, but do you want to take that chance? Unpredictability combined with being unprepared, is a crisis waiting to happen. It could even be life ending!
My wife and I decided we would better our chances of survival, just in case the unthinkable happened. We studied storm shelters online and narrowed our choices down to two companies, Alabama Safe Shelter of Cullman and Valley Storm Shelter in Huntsville. We decided to buy a "walk-in" unit because I've seen too many "in-ground" shelters which had problems with water. Granted, the newer buried shelters claim to be waterproof and probably are. I just didn't want to take the chance of water issues ten years down the road.
The shelter from Valley was a steel enclosure that bolted to a cement garage floor. It was also advertised as a "safe-room" since it was bulletproof. This one was actually our first choice. We drove to their local showroom in Huntsville and the salesman was on the phone, so we waited. The more I compared the two, the Cullman cement shelter was a better fit for us. One, we didn't loose any garage floor space. But more important that that, was the number of persons each was able to hold. The steel shelter we had chosen could hold eight persons, but the cement shelter held fifteen. The price for each was about the same. If our entire family were present, including grandchildren, we would need the larger one, or stand on each others head! I've never been a fan of "women and children first" decisions, when everyone could be saved with a little planning.
I called Dewayne Shaddix at Alabama Safe Shelter and asked if he could come by and make a site survey. He agreed, since we were local. I since learned that they serve a wide area in the Southeast so that isn't always possible. He came by later that week and I showed him my three site possibilities. All were okay for the installation. He suggested that I remove some pines that were in the way. We signed a contract and made a downpayment. It was just that easy. I spent a couple of days removing some additional trees and called to say we were ready.
Due to letting the sunshine dry the area a little more, he waited a few days before sending out his installation crew. They arrived on Monday morning, ready to get it done. The shelter came in two pieces, each weighing 10,000 pounds.
Josh, started digging out the shelter's final resting place. Our land slopes upward behind the house, so we thought it would be a pretty easy install. The average install time is about four hours.
The dig went pretty well. The dirt was piled up on both sides so that it's restoration would be easier.
Next came the installation of the concrete shelter. That part didn't go quite as planned. The total weight of the shelter and vehicle is 28,000 pounds. As soon as the truck pulled off the concrete driveway, the wheels started spinning from the damp soil. It was lunch time anyway, so the crew took off to purchase some plywood for a temporary road.
They returned with five sheets for the truck to backup on. It's rear wheels need to be about 10' from the final spot of the shelter. The plan worked great as you can see in the following pictures.
Next, the door is installed and the dirt put back against the shelter.
The crew finished but it's still a work in progress for me. I'm adding a rock retaining wall and a french drain to pull any ground water away.
We're extremely pleased with the purchase and the installation by Alabama Safe Shelter. Everyone needs a safe place to go when danger threatens. The weather has been good lately, so it may not seem like a high priority item to you. Don't wait until it's too late. Your family is too important to lose because of procrastination. If you would like more info, please visit their website or call Dewayne at 256-338-4984. Tell him The Chestnut Burr sent you!
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