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FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms, Third Edition

Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) (2015).

The criteria presented in this publication address how to design and construct a safe room that provides near-absolute protection for groups of individuals sent to a building or structure expecting it to be capable of providing them life-safety protection from wind, windborne debris, and flooding. This guidance interprets the new International Code Council® (ICC®) ICC/NSSA Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters [(ICC-500, produced in consensus with the National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA)] design criteria and provides technical design guidance and emergency management considerations to individuals who are looking for “best-practices” that are above minimums in the codes and standards.

http://www.fema.gov/safe-room-resources/fema-p-361-design-and-construction-guidance-community-safe-rooms