Alabama, particularly, received some generous federal grants in building storm rooms.
For those who live in vulnerable storm country, a storm room is going to be essential, especially those hit by devastating tornadoes in April and May 2011 in the U.S. south. The expense in building one, of course, can be enormous. Fortunately, government grants are available to help local communities build them. One particular government grant has already been around for decades.
FEMA Community Block Grants
Already in 1974, the Housing and Community Development Act was enacted by Congress to provide block grants to communities vulnerable to tornadoes. In 2003, President George W. Bush expanded on this by enacting the Tornado Shelters Act that specifically provides block grants to help build storm shelters for those in low income manufactured home parks. The grants will be provided only if the park has more than twenty homes and has experienced a tornado in the last three years.
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
One of the best known storm shelter grant programs through the federal government is the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. These grants are sent out to states and local governments to help build storm shelters in areas that were formerly declared disaster areas due to tornadoes or other storms. To apply for a grant, you need to contact your state hazard mitigation officer. FEMA provides a page that lists where to find one in your state.
Alabama Storm Shelter Reimbursement Grants
As of 2011, the federal government is providing reimbursement grants to Alabama residents who built storm shelters after their devastating 2011 tornadoes. Specifically for those who live in Madison County, Alabama, the grants will reimburse up to 75 percent of the cost of a storm shelter built up to a $4,000 maximum. Any resident who built a storm room will still be responsible for 25 percent of the building costs. You can apply for a grant through Madison County's Emergency Management Agency.
Alabama's Safe Room Initiative
On a more localized level, the use of HMGP grant money has enabled Alabama to build community storm shelters going back to 2002 through their Safe Room Initiatives. These may have saved many lives during the May 2011 tornadoes there. However, FEMA reports on their Residential Safe Room Initiatives page that Alabama used nothing but local funds to help build storm shelters as far back as 1998 using various nonprofit affordable housing developers.
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