Emergency Shelter Guide: From Safe Rooms to Survival Shelters

Understanding Shelter Priorities

In survival situations, shelter often takes precedence over food and even water. The "Rule of Threes" reminds us: you can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter in harsh conditions, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. Exposure to cold, heat, wind, and rain can incapacitate or kill far faster than hunger or dehydration.

Emergency shelter needs fall into three main categories:

1. Shelter-in-Place

Remaining in your current location (home, workplace, school) for protection. Used during tornadoes, hazardous material releases, active threats, and situations where evacuation is more dangerous than staying.

2. Evacuation Shelter

Relocating to a safer location—either a public emergency shelter, hotel/motel, or staying with friends/family. Used for hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other events requiring area-wide evacuation.

3. Improvised/Portable Shelter

Creating or deploying emergency shelter when away from buildings. Includes emergency tents, tarps, bivvies, and improvised structures. Used when stranded, during extended outdoor emergencies, or when buildings are unsafe.

Shelter-in-Place: When to Stay Put

Shelter-in-place means staying inside your current building rather than evacuating. Different emergencies require different shelter-in-place strategies.

Tornado Shelter-in-Place

Tornadoes demand immediate shelter. Your goal: put as many walls between you and the tornado as possible.

Best tornado shelter locations (in order):

1. FEMA-rated safe room: Engineered for 250+ mph winds
2. Basement: Get under sturdy furniture or stairs
3. Interior room, lowest floor: Bathroom, closet, hallway away from windows
4. Interior hallway: Crouch low, cover head

What to do:

• Get to shelter immediately when warning sounds
• Stay away from windows, doors, and exterior walls
• Cover yourself with mattresses, blankets, or sleeping bag
• Protect your head and neck
• Stay until the all-clear is given

Mobile homes: NEVER shelter in a mobile home during a tornado. Even weak EF0 tornadoes destroy mobile homes. Have a predetermined sturdy structure within walking distance.

Hazardous Material Shelter-in-Place

Chemical spills, industrial accidents, or deliberate releases may require sealing your shelter:

1. Go inside immediately, bring pets
2. Close all windows and doors
3. Turn off HVAC systems, close fireplace dampers
4. Go to interior room with fewest windows
5. Seal doors with wet towels, tape plastic over windows if available
6. Listen to emergency broadcasts for all-clear

Pre-position supplies: Keep plastic sheeting and duct tape with emergency supplies for rapid sealing.

Active Threat Shelter-in-Place

During active shooter or violent threat situations:

• Run if safe escape route exists
• Hide if escape isn't safe: find room with lockable door, turn off lights, silence phones, stay quiet
• Fight only as last resort

When NOT to Shelter-in-Place

Leave immediately in these situations:

• Evacuation order from authorities
• Fire in or near your building
• Gas leak smell
• Structural damage making building unsafe
• Rising floodwaters

Creating an Effective Safe Room

A designated safe room improves your tornado and severe weather survival odds significantly.

Choosing Your Safe Room Location

If you don't have a basement or FEMA safe room, identify the best available space:

• Bathrooms: Plumbing provides structural reinforcement; small size limits debris
• Closets: Interior closets under stairs are excellent
• Hallways: Interior hallways without windows
• Lowest floor: Always choose lowest available level

Safe Room Supplies

Store these in your safe room:

• NOAA weather radio (battery backup)
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Sturdy shoes (debris, broken glass)
• Helmet or bike helmet (head protection)
• Phone charger
• Water bottles
• First aid kit
• Blankets/pillows for padding
• Whistle (to signal rescuers if trapped)

FEMA-Rated Safe Rooms

For maximum protection, FEMA-rated safe rooms are engineered to withstand EF5 tornadoes (250+ mph winds) and can protect against other extreme events:

Above-ground safe rooms:

• Install in garage, closet, or as standalone room
• Cost: $3,000-$10,000 depending on size
• No flooding risk (unlike underground shelters)
• Can be retrofitted into existing homes

Underground shelters:

• In-ground installation in yard or garage floor
• Cost: $2,500-$15,000 depending on size and type
• Risk of flooding; requires drainage consideration
• May be difficult for mobility-limited individuals

FEMA grants: Check FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program—funding sometimes available to offset safe room costs in high-risk areas.

Evacuation Shelters: What to Expect

When evacuation orders are issued, you'll need to choose between public shelters, hotels, or staying with family/friends. Each has advantages and challenges.

Public Emergency Shelters

Red Cross and community shelters provide basic protection but have limitations:

What shelters provide:

• Roof over your head and protection from elements
• Basic cot or sleeping area
• Some food and water (quality varies)
• Basic first aid
• Information about the emergency

What shelters typically DON'T provide:

• Privacy
• Comfortable sleeping arrangements
• Enough blankets/pillows for everyone
• Special dietary foods
• Pet accommodation (most shelters)
• Sufficient electrical outlets
• Quiet sleeping environment

What to Bring to an Evacuation Shelter

Your shelter experience improves dramatically with proper preparation:

Essential items:

• Medications (enough for extended stay)
• Important documents (ID, insurance papers)
• Phone and multiple chargers
• Comfortable clothing, sturdy shoes
• Blankets, pillows, sleeping pad
• Personal hygiene items
• Special needs items (glasses, hearing aids, etc.)

Comfort items:

• Snacks and familiar foods
• Activities for children
• Earplugs and eye mask
• Books, games, entertainment
• Cash
• Headphones

Pet-Friendly Shelters

Under the PETS Act, emergency management must plan for pets, but not all shelters accept them:

• Research pet-friendly shelters BEFORE emergencies
• Some shelters house pets in separate areas
• Bring: food, water bowls, leash, carrier, medications, vaccination records
• Alternative: pet-friendly hotels along your evacuation route

Alternatives to Public Shelters

Hotels/motels:

• Book early—rooms fill fast during evacuations
• Go farther from the threat area for availability
• Many chains accept pets during disasters
• More comfortable than shelters but expensive

Friends/family:

• Pre-arrange reciprocal agreements
• Know their evacuation plans too
• Don't assume—ask in advance

Portable Emergency Shelters

When buildings aren't available or safe, portable shelter options can be life-saving.

Emergency Bivvies and Space Blankets

These compact, lightweight options reflect body heat and block wind:

• Space blankets: Mylar sheet reflects 90% of body heat, folds to wallet size
• Emergency bivvy: Sleeping bag-style space blanket, more durable and warmer
• Best for: Vehicle kits, bug-out bags, day hikes
• Limitations: No insulation from ground, condensation inside, not reusable in many cases

Emergency Tents

More substantial protection than bivvies:

• Tube tents: Simple, lightweight, inexpensive. String a line, drape over, stake corners.
• Pop-up tents: Quick setup, more durable, but bulkier
• Bivy tents: One-person, very compact, excellent for bug-out bags

Tarps: The Versatile Shelter Option

A quality tarp with cordage is one of the most versatile emergency shelter tools:

Recommended specifications:

• Size: 10x10 feet minimum (larger for families)
• Material: Ripstop nylon or heavy-duty poly
• Grommets: Every 2-3 feet along edges
• Color: Bright for visibility or camo for concealment

Tarp shelter configurations:

• A-frame: Rope between trees, tarp draped over, stakes at corners
• Lean-to: High edge tied, low edge staked, open on one side
• Ground cloth: Under sleeping area for moisture barrier
• Diamond fly: Point into wind for wind protection

Improvised Shelter Techniques

When you have no manufactured shelter materials, natural and improvised shelters can still protect you.

Debris Hut

A simple, effective shelter built from forest materials:

1. Find a ridgepole (sturdy branch, 9-12 feet)
2. Prop one end on a stump or rock (waist height)
3. Lean smaller branches along both sides to create frame
4. Cover with leaves, pine needles, bark—2+ feet thick
5. Line floor with insulating material
6. Seal entrance with backpack or debris

Lean-To

Quick shelter with one open side:

1. Find or create horizontal ridgepole between trees
2. Lean branches against it at 45-degree angle
3. Cover with available materials
4. Build fire in front of open side for warmth (carefully)

Snow Shelters

In snowy conditions, snow itself provides insulation:

• Snow trench: Dig trench, cover with branches/tarp, insulate floor
• Quinzhee: Pile snow, let settle, hollow out interior
• Tree well: Space under large evergreen where snow doesn't accumulate

Vehicle Shelter

Your vehicle provides significant protection if safe from the hazard:

• Run engine periodically for heat (ensure exhaust isn't blocked by snow)
• Crack window slightly to prevent carbon monoxide buildup
• Use floor mats for insulation
• Stay visible—tie bright cloth to antenna
• Don't leave vehicle in blizzard conditions

Staying Warm Without Heat

Power outages during winter emergencies create life-threatening situations. These strategies help retain body heat:

Clothing and Layering

• Base layer: Moisture-wicking material against skin
• Middle layer: Insulating (fleece, wool, down)
• Outer layer: Wind and water resistant
• Head and neck: 40%+ of heat loss occurs here
• Hands and feet: Keep dry; layer socks

Reducing Heat Loss

• Insulate from ground/floor: Sleeping pad, cardboard, newspapers, rugs
• Seal drafts: Towels under doors, plastic over windows
• Choose smallest room: Easier to keep warm
• Hang blankets: Over windows and doorways
• Use tent indoors: Body heat warms small space

Generating Heat

• Body heat sharing: Huddle with family, share sleeping space
• Hand/body warmers: Chemical warmers provide hours of heat
• Hot water bottles: Fill with boiled water, wrap in cloth
• Exercise: Movement generates body heat
• Warm food and drinks: Internal warming

DANGER: Carbon Monoxide

Never use the following indoors without proper ventilation:

• Gas generators
• Charcoal grills or camp stoves
• Propane heaters not rated for indoor use
• Vehicle engines

Carbon monoxide is odorless and can kill within minutes. Install battery-powered CO detectors.

Hot Weather Shelter Considerations

Heat emergencies require different shelter strategies than cold:

Staying Cool Without AC

• Seek lowest level: Heat rises; basements are coolest
• Cross-ventilation: Open windows on opposite sides
• Shade: Close blinds on sun-facing windows
• Avoid heat generation: Don't use oven; minimize electronics
• Cool your body: Wet towels on neck and wrists
• Battery fans: Air movement helps evaporative cooling

When Shelter Gets Too Hot

If indoor temperatures become dangerous:

• Go to public cooling center (library, mall, community center)
• Use vehicle AC as cooling refuge
• Seek shade outdoors if breeze exists
• Wade in safe, shallow water