We are all aware that tornadoes can rip through towns and neighborhoods destroying everything in their path. A house can be completely torn down leaving rubble behind. You would not want to be inside that house when a tornado comes to town. Instead, it would be important to either have a way to evacuate or a safe place to go near the house.
However, it’s rare to come by storm shelters in homes nowadays, and if you decide in getting one, it could cost you anywhere from about $3,500 to over $8,000 at any major home improvement retail store.
Luckily, one family in Bremen, Kentucky had a storm shelter next to their house when tornadoes wiped through parts of the state and eight other central and southern states on Dec. 10.
Jordan Evans was out of town with his son Gage when the catastrophic storms and tornadoes tore through western Kentucky last week.
Jordan described the area as a “war zone.”
Gage’s mother and the rest of his family were right in the path of the storm. Their house didn’t have a basement or any way to get underground. Luckily, they had access to one located just next door—a storm shelter that is 10 feet deep and 12 feet wide.
Gage’s stepdad, Justin Pointer, led his eight family members and two dogs into the tiny space before the tornado passed over.
According to AWM:
More than a decade ago now, Jordan Evans decided to get a shovel and start digging. Because his hometown of Breman, Kentucky, was terrorized by the occasional tornado, Evans figured that it would be a smart move to build an underground storm shelter. Although he never thought that a tornado would actually come onto his property, Evans figured that it was a wise investment that could help keep his family safe in the event that a tornado did come to town.
“It started shaking the lid real bad, we had to hold it down,” Justin recalled.
He also mentioned that the space, although tight and uncomfortable, provided the protection they needed after the storm destroyed their house.
Justin said the shelter had been built by his father about a decade ago. His dad couldn’t remember how much he spent to put it in, but both believed they couldn’t put a price on their family’s safety.
They hadn’t used it before, but during the night of December 19, it was able to save them all. Justin couldn’t be more grateful to his dad for thinking forward.
“He said he’d pay a hundred times more for it right now,” Justin said.
Underground storm shelters are available online. They come in different sizes depending on how many people are in your family. The cost varies depending on the size of the shelter, but most are under $10,000. There are shelters that can safely protect up to 20 people.
No matter what size shelter your family would need, these underground prefab shelters have standard features including a door that’s easy to open yet fully seals to keep out rain and weather.
Watch the video below to learn more about how this hole in the ground kept an entire family safe during a tornado.
Source: AWM
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