A study was performed on 19 existing buildings throughout the entire facility to determine the structural integrity of existing tornado shelters. The study also reviewed the optimal location of the existing shelters within each respective building.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines where referenced during this study. According to the FEMA guidelines, a tornado shelter should be designed for a basic wind speed of 250 MPH and be able to resist the missile force of a 2” x 4” piece of wood weighing 15 lbs. traveling at a speed of 100 MPH.
The areas found to be used as primary tornado shelters were located in basements and constructed of concrete walls and ceilings. The areas found to be used as secondary tornado shelters were located within steel frame buildings with metal siding. Typically, these were small rooms constructed of concrete masonry units with a concrete ceiling. Each shelter was required to have a metal latch door system. Existing doors were recommended to be replaced if they did not meet this requirement.