How to Dig a Tornado Shelter
- 1). Design your tornado shelter and plan out its size and placement. Refer to "Source 1" for design plans. Since tornadoes do not last long, not much time needs to be spent in the shelter. Therefore, allow for approximately 5 square feet of floor area per person. If you are planning for five people, the dimensions should be 5 feet by 5 feet. A recommended height is 7 feet.
- 2). Measure the ground where you want your shelter. Dig a hole larger than the size of the finished shelter to accommodate stairs or an entryway.
- 3). Dig the pit using shovels. To allow for a ceiling height of 7 feet, dig an extra two feet to accommodate the height of the floor and ceiling. If building the shelter into a room of an existing house, the tiles, floorboard, and other flooring materials will have to be removed first.
