NSSA National Storm Shelter Association
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  • Home
  • About
    • Mission
    • History
    • Board & Committee Members
    • Industry Standards
  • Consumers
    • Residential Tornado Shelters >
      • Find a Residential Tornado Shelter Provider
      • Homeowner Information
      • Financing & Rebate Programs
    • Community Tornado Shelters >
      • Find a Community Tornado Shelter Provider
    • Useful Links & Information
  • Industry Professionals
    • NSSA Accredited Professional
    • NSSA Certified Inspector
    • AP/CI Code of Conduct
    • Become A Member
    • Membership Benefits
    • Member & Listing Directory
    • Resources & Educational Materials >
      • Educational Information
  • News
    • Blog
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
  • 2022 Conference
    • Event Information
    • Conference Registration
    • Become A Sponsor
  • Contact

Homeowners in Marshall County, Oklahoma, Can Apply for Tornado-Shelter Grant

12/3/2020

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MADILL, Oklahoma –The Marshall County Emergency Management Offices received a grant to help homeowners purchase a storm shelter.

Marshall County Emergency Management Director Robert Chaney said the grant will allow anyone who owns a home in Marshall County to be reimbursed for up to 75 percent or $2,000 of a storm shelter purchase.
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Interested homeowners have to sign up for the program by the end of the week, but won’t need to purchase the shelter until sometime mid next year.
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Safe Room Saves Family of Four in Mississippi Tornado

4/14/2020

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Only the concrete safe room survived an April 12 tornado that hit the home of Andrew and Amber Phillips. Image courtesy Andrew Phillips via AP
According to the Associated Press, a family of four in Moss, Mississippi, survived an April 12 tornado by sheltering in their residential concrete safe room. 

Homeowners Andrew and Amber Phillips and their two children rode out the storm in their safe room, which was part of the home they bought a few weeks prior. The couple lost their house, cars and meat-processing business next door, but the safe room is still standing. Andrew was able to duck inside just before the funnel cloud arrived on site. 

​“I was in there about 20 seconds when it hit,” the article, published by ABC News, reported Andrew saying. “The house is gone, everything but the safe room.”

Click here to learn about NSSA professional and producer members who can assist you in choosing the right safe room for your needs.
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Thoughts for Tennesse

3/11/2020

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Photo source: https://www.tennessean.com/picture-gallery/news/2020/03/10/photos-tennessee-tornado-day-2/4968765002/
Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the recent tornado events in Tennessee.

The mission of the NSSA is to provide information and education on safeguarding against national disasters. Now is a good time to reflect on the safety of our families and neighbors in regards to providing storm shelters with the required testing and certifications.
If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to the NSSA and its members. We can direct you in obtaining the right storm shelter for your needs
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Construction Nearing Completion for Mississippi’s Largest Storm Shelter

6/21/2019

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Editor’s note: NSSA members are instrumental in storm-shelter projects all over the country. We will regularly highlight organizations and companies and the work they are doing to keep Americans safe. 

Dome Technology is finishing construction of a storm shelter on the Tupelo High School campus that, when complete, will be the largest community storm shelter in the state of Mississippi.

At 175 feet in diameter, the low-profile dome can withstand an EF5 tornado. The 24,000-square-foot shelter is designed to accommodate 2,000 students in a wind event, and though a large building, it is being engineered to meet city restrictions on height.

“Due to a height restriction on the site, the dome needed to be a 1:8 ratio—that means (the dome) has a very low profile. Being the only dome builder that promotes and builds domes with this low of a profile, we were able to provide the solution for this project,” said Dome Technology sales manager Daren Wheeler.

Federal regulations specified the height of the shelter based on its proximity to a national park. “Because of the sightlines and scenic vistas, we had to keep the height down,” said principal architect Will Lewis of JBHM Architecture. “That low-profile curvature of the dome was what made (the storm shelter) feasible for that location.”

Groundbreaking took place in April 2018, and the project will wrap up this month. FEMA and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency grants funded the majority of the project.

Although intended to serve as command center and storm shelter for the student population at Tupelo High School, the building will be finished as a gym and function as a multipurpose building also. Students will take priority during storms, but on the weekend, the shelter will be open to the public should a tornado be likely.

In an interview with local news station WCBI, Tupelo district athletic director Eddie Moore said, “We’re just proud to have it on our campus. We are the biggest high school in the state, and this reflects another plus for Tupelo High School and Tupelo Public School District.”

More and more storm shelters are being built for cities and school districts where natural disasters are common. JBHM Architecture builds many shelters, most of them domes. “The domes are just more flexible, more efficient, and more cost effective than other safe shelters,” Lewis said.

Dome Technology builds shelters that withstand windborne debris, projectiles, and 250-mph winds. The shelters meet and in some cases exceed ICC 500 specifications and FEMA 361 criteria, which allows many publicly funded entities to apply for and receive grant assistance.

Dome Technology hires local crews to build its steel-reinforced concrete storm shelters with local materials, and a dome’s double curvature requires fewer construction materials and produces less waste. In addition, a dome is a free-spanning structure; no interior supports are necessary, making it possible for these storm shelters to also be used as sports facilities or auditoriums.
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Key players on this project include Tupelo Public School District, Dome Technology, JBHM Architecture, and general contractor Murphy & Sons.
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Dr. Kiesling Receives Lifetime Award for Contributions to Storm Safety

4/17/2019

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At the 2018 annual NSSA meeting Dr. Ernst Kiesling, NSSA executive director and leadership partner, received a tribute that included stories and pictures of his family, his Texas Tech Wind Science and Engineering leadership, and his lifelong career accomplishments that led to creation of the tornado shelter and safe-room concepts.
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Following the tribute, Kiesling received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication and contributions to the field of tornado safety and high wind science. Tornado survivors and special guests, including the Harrison family and Mike Vaughn of the NSSA, presented the “Father of the Safe Room” with the award.
For information about connecting with NSSA, visit our LinkedIn page. 
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NSSA at Game Plan Expo-Overland Park, KS

10/9/2017

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On October 7 & 9, 2017, NSSA participated at the Game Plan Expo…a community focused event featuring demonstrations and workshops to help prepare for all types of emergencies and disasters. ESP Safety Shelters also had a booth and displayed their shelter.  Thank you Scott Larimore of ESP Safety Shelters, and Mike Vaughn of Vaughn Concrete Products for participating and supporting NSSA.  Sluggerrr also took an interest in the ESP Safety Shelter…thank you!
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Shelters also on display:  New Day Tornado Shelters, Extreme Storm Bunker, and FlatSafe Tornado Shelters.
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RK Prepper Show in Kansas City, MO

10/2/2017

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October 2, 2017, Warrensburg, Mo – ESP Safety Shelters recently participated in the RK Prepper Show in Kansas City, MO. The ESP mobile shelter was on display along with information for the National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA).  It was a well attended event with lots of interest in the ESP Safe Room. ESP Safety Shelters have been verified to meet or exceed all NSSA Standards, FEMA P320/P361 Guidelines and ICC-500 Codes. For more information go to esp.swisherinc.com or call (800) 222-8183.
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"How to Stop the Wind"

8/4/2017

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Article:  Popular Mechanics:  “How to Stop the Wind”  By Brantley Hargrove- August 3, 2017
Don Greer and his wife, Helen, hid in a tornado shelter. Only he survived.  Now, a team of engineers has committed to doing the impossible:  building a structure that’s stronger and smarter than the merciless, random powers of nature itself…
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National Storm Shelter Association
c/o Jim Bell, Director of Operations
P.O. Box 30
Smithville, TN  33166
1-877-700-NSSA (6772) Or
 info@nssa.cc