Since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on several southern states, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and those administering it have cleaned up their acts considerably. Weather disasters have become more frequent and powerful, and FEMA's budget and personnel could be depleted during the course of a single emergency. Therefore, it's important initially to protect yourself. One way is by establishing a family safe room in your residence. You may be eligible for a government grant to help offset the cost of constructing a safe room. Safe room grant applicants need a fascination with various techniques of research as well as the time frame to apply those techniques. Does this Spark an idea?
Safe Rooms
A safe room provides protection from strong storms that are powered by a stronger wind force. You must construct a safe room following guidelines from FEMA, especially if you plan to seek government assistance to pay for part or all of the cost.
Safe rooms come in various sizes designed to protect anyone from a single person to a full class of children. The severe weather zone where you're located will dictate the urgency to install a safe room. Your home might be built to code, but that code doesn't include the ability to withstand extreme wind events such as major hurricanes and tornadoes.
Major Requirements of a Safe Room
Your safe room must be capable of protecting its occupants from winds ranging from 75 mph to 400 mph. At the higher wind speeds, anything in the storm's path becomes a flying projectile. The safe room must be able to protect its inhabitants from the impact of high winds, driving rain and these flying projectiles---even if your home is destroyed or severely damaged.
Your safe room must be securely anchored and resistant to uplift or overturning. Walls, ceiling and door must resist both wind pressure and projectile objects or falling debris. The connectors at all angles must have the strength to resist high wind. If interior or exterior walls are also supports for the safe room, they must be separated from the residence structure. Damage to the primary residence should not cause damage to the safe room.
Government Assistance
Government initiatives now in place can reduce the potential impact of a wind-related disaster on human lives. More than one incident could occur at the same time. Protecting people across the largest area of predictable dangerous weather events helps to concentrate relief efforts on unpredictable emergencies.
The federal government has a mandate to return millions of dollars to taxpaying citizens each year. They do this in the form of grants, loans and subsidies provided through various agencies and departments. The "catch" is that none of this is made public. This means that you must search many avenues to locate safe room grants that fit your project.
Safe Room Grants
The federal government offers safe room grants and other funds (low-interest loans) to assist homeowners. However, it makes these grants available first to homeowners living in states with a high probability of tornado strikes, such as Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. These states comprise the central portion of the United States known as "Tornado Alley."
Grants represent coveted "free money" that never needs repayment. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers grant funds for installation of a safe room in existing homes in Tornado Alley. HUD also provides funds to community organizations allowing them to dispense money to public shelter projects.
Grant Sources
Grants come from local, state and federal government agencies. The FEMA and HUD websites both provide information about procuring grants for protective safe rooms. With occasional exceptions, HUD grants aren't awarded directly to individuals.
First and foremost, the applicant registers with Grants.gov and gets access to the listing of grant opportunities. The website also offers assistance to applicants in completing request forms for funding. Similarly, FEMA offers a listing of loans and safe room grants. Among the possibilities are:
• Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loans
• Community Development Block Grant Funds
• Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Mortgage Insured Financing
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Funds (most likely to fund individual requests)
• Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program Funds
The Office of Departmental Grants Management and Oversight (ODGMO) works closely with all government grant offices. Their goal is to increase HUD effectiveness in grant delivery. This also relieves any burden on applicants.
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