May 29, 2007
Written by Cory Chandler
Homeowners in five Texas communities are eligible for state incentive grants aimed
at encouraging installation of residential storm shelters.
Using a portion of federal dollars provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
following Hurricane Rita, Texas has funded a program that will provide a rebate covering
half the cost, up to $2,500, of building a residential storm shelter in the Amarillo
area, Nacogdoches, Harris County, Fort Bend County, and Kendall County.
Storm shelters offer life safety from natural hazards such as tornadoes and hurricanes,
where they also offer an alternative to costly evacuation.
Shelters must bear the seal of the National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA) to qualify
for the rebate. Ernst Kiesling, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering
at Texas Tech University and Executive Director of NSSA, said this requirement is
intended to ensure that the installed shelters meet the stringent standards of these
organizations and offer life safety of occupants.
Kiesling said NSSA members now offer a wide range of shelter types so that individual
preferences and circumstances can be accommodated.
"Good design, construction, and installation result in shelters that offer a high
degree of safety at minimum cost," Kiesling said.
The NSSA seal identifies those shelters and distinguishes them from those whose quality
has not been verified. The Member Roster on the web site www.NSSA.cc lists the members
qualified to affix the NSSA seal. Jurisdictions determining who is eligible for a
grant managing the grant programs are listed on this Web site.
NSSA standards are consistent with criteria laid out by the FEMA 320 booklet titled
Taking Shelter from the Storm. This booklet gives specifications, including the construction
plans and estimated costs, for building a safe room inside a house. The booklet can
be found at http://www.fema.gov/fima/tsfs02.shtm.
Kiesling specializes in debris impact and storm shelter quality. He can speak on the
construction and use of residential and community shelters and has more than 30 years
of experience in the field documenting storm damage and testing different materials
and types of construction.
Texas Tech’s Wind Science and Engineering Research Center tests the strength of building
materials using a wind cannon that allows simulation of debris hurled by the most
intense tornados seen in the United States. Tests have been performed dozens of products
for an international slate of manufacturers and organizations including the Portland
Cement Association, the Engineered Wood Association and numerous shelter manufacturers.
CONTACT: Ernst Kiesling, professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Texas Tech University,
(806) 742-3476, ext. 335, or ernst.kiesling@ttu.edu.