by Blake Lee | Apr 10, 2019 | News
At the beginning of March The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded a grant worth $328,000 to the City of Broken Arrow. These funds will offset the cost of installing storm shelters for up to 164 homeowners. If you live in Broken Arrow and have been thinking about purchasing a storm shelter, this rebate will make that goal much easier. The program allows homeowners who would like to install a safe room the chance to earn a rebate of up to $2,000. Qualifying residents must own their own home, live in the city limits and not be located in a flood zone.
In order to have been applicable for funding, you must have attended a meeting back in October and have turned in an application. Funding is currently being distributed to applicants who were approved at that meeting. However, there is hope that another round of funding will be available from FEMA in the near future, so that more homeowners can apply for a storm shelter. grant in the future. If you are a homeowner in Broken Arrow that did not receive funding, you should contact the city for more information and details on what you can do to become applicable for the next round of funding.
by Blake Lee | Jan 13, 2016 | News
To any citizens of Ottawa County, The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management was awarded a $235,625 grant from FEMA, which will help cover the cost to build up to 115 individual safe rooms / storm shelters for your residents. Through this individual Safe Room Rebate Program, homeowners have the opportunity of purchasing a FEMA approved safe room / storm shelter for their property and be reimbursed for it. In order to qualify for the program, applicants must own their own home and a flood survey must show that they are not inside of a flood plain. Storm shelters cannot be built in a flood zone due to hazard issues. Residents who are granted the rebate have three years to build a safe room in order to be reimbursed by FEMA. Qualified residents who applied may be reimbursed up to 75 percent of the cost of installing the shelter, or a maximum price up to $2,000. The remaining 25 percent will be the responsibility of the homeowner. The Homeowner has the choice of installing an underground storm shelter or an above ground safe room. Anyone wishing to be reimbursed for their shelter must be approved and funded before installing a safe room / storm shelter, otherwise they will not be reimbursed. The rebate program is open to every individual household in the county, excluding households within Miami city limits, due to recent grants awarded in the area. The city of Miami was already granted twice through this rebate program, this one is for everyone in the county outside of Miami city limits.
Congratulations to everybody that has received funding from this program. If you have any questions about storm shelters, you can call our Tulsa location and they can assist you. We would love to help your family stay safe from Oklahoma’s severe weather. Stay Alive, Call F5!
F5 Storm Shelters of Tulsa
10846 S. Memorial Dr. #112
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74133
(918) 970-4770]
F5 Storm Shelters Oklahoma
by Blake Lee | Aug 4, 2015 | News
If you have recently won funding through your tribe for a storm shelter installation then we are here to tell you that F5 Storm Shelters is a qualified to be your vendor. All of our storm shelters and safe rooms either meet or exceed FEMA guidelines and have scored a passing grade at Texas Tech’s Wind Institute in Lubbock Texas. Please see below for more information on some of the existing storm shelter rebate programs that tribes across the state are currently offering. If you don’t see your tribe listed please contact your housing authority for more information. They should be able to assist you.
The Choctaw Nation – Currently offering up to $2,500 towards any underground storm shelter purchase as well as a safe room grant of $4200 for qualified applicants.
The program provides a grant for storm shelters to Choctaw Tribal Members who live in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas, which are states with a high risk of tornadoes. You must be 65 years old or older, or, you must have a documented ambulatory disability- Means a disability of which a person has a physical and permanent disability to such a degree that they require the use of a wheelchair; is not able to cross curbs because of paralysis or loss of function of the person’s legs; is missing one or both legs; or has a permanently impaired or unsteady gait that makes it impossible or impractical to walk as a means of transportation.
The Storm Shelter Program is administered through the Housing Authority of the Choctaw Nation. Choctaw Nation Storm Shelter Grant Program is dependent upon availability of funds. Storm shelters shall be provided as grants for eligible applicants who meet the qualifications. A grant in the amount of up to $4,200 for above ground shelters, with payment being made to the Choctaw Tribal Member and Tornado Alley Armor Safe Rooms.
In order to qualify you must reside in the home and hold title to the dwelling. Title must be recorded for ownership. Applicants who are participating in the Mutual Help Program are eligible. An individual may only have one primary residence.
If you qualify contact the Choctaw Nation Housing Authority toll free at 1-800-235-3087 for more information.
The Chickasaw Nation – Currently offering up to $2,500 towards the installation of any storm shelter.
F5 Storm Shelters is a proud supporter of the Chickasaw Nation’s storm shelter rebate program and all of our shelters qualify for the funding. For Chickasaw citizens, grants will be provided for up to $2,500 for installation of storm shelters. This service is available both inside and outside the Chickasaw Nation’s boundaries. An applicant can expect to find out within 10 business days if he/she qualifies to be placed on the waiting list. You can call 580-421-8800 for more information.
You Provide: CDIB/Citizenship Card for applicant, Social Security cards of all household members, Income verification of all household members, and a copy of warranty deed.
Eligibility: Must be Chickasaw Citizen, No outstanding debt owed to the housing division or to the Chickasaw Nation, Home must be the applicant’s primary residence, Storm shelters are awarded one time only to each family in order to meet the needs of all Chickasaws.
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation – Currently offering up to $5,000 towards a storm shelter purchase.
Muscogee (Creek) Nation offers a Natural Disaster Program which provides assistance to enrolled Creek citizens who have experienced a tornado. Maximum benefit is $5000 and it will provide for emergency shelter costs. Assistance amount varies based on the severity of the event and insurance coverage available.
Documentation required:
- Copy of citizenship cards for all household members or a printout out from the Citizenship Office.
- Copy of social security cards for all household members.
- Copy of birth certificate and/or driver licenses for non-Indian household members.
- Resident verification (lease agreement, mail dated within 30 days from date of tornado, etc.).
- Copy of fire report.
- Pictures of damage.
- Documentation of insurance available and/or lack of insurance.
- Additional information may be required to determine eligibility.
You can find more information on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation website.
These are the tribes that we have confirmed are currently offering rebate programs for their citizens. If your tribe is not on this list, it does not mean that they are not offering any type of funding. It only means that we have not got any type of information that can confirm they are currently offering rebates. Contact the Housing Authority for your tribe for more information regarding this topic. As always, Stay Alive, Call F5!
A New Underground Storm Shelter From F5
by Blake Lee | Jul 28, 2015 | News
Are you a recent transplant to the state of Oklahoma or a local that has been putting off purchasing a storm shelter the last few years because of costs? If so, you may benefit from F5 Storm Shelters’ Summer Savings Special. Right now, at both of our OKC and Tulsa locations, we are taking $200 off any underground garage storm shelter, above ground safe room, or outdoor storm cellar purchase. These are some of our lowest rates of the year and they are available to you and your family for the entire month of August. All you have to do it call or come by one of our showrooms, choose the storm shelter that is right for your family and mention you read about our Summer Savings discount on our website and we will subtract $200 from the total price! You can’t get much better then that.
Don’t wait until the Spring season when everybody in the state is trying to have a storm shelter installed for storm season, plan ahead and get your shelter installed now. Not only will you save a ton of money, but you also don’t have to worry about extremely long waiting lists and you can guarantee that your family will have the safety and piece of mind they need when they need it most, tornado season. We have staff on hand that are ready to answer all of your questions and show you all the shelters we have available. Financing is currently available through credit unions for as low as .75%!!! Think ahead and call F5 Storm Shelters today!
F5 Storm Shelters OKC (405) 824-7209
Tulsa (918) 970-4770 Stay Alive, Call F5!
F5 Storm Shelters Oklahoma Summer Savings Special
by Blake Lee | Jul 21, 2015 | News
Did you know that F5 Storm Shelters is the only storm shelter company in the state that has showrooms in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa? This makes it easy for anybody in the state to have the chance to see our products in person. Did you just move to Oklahoma and are in need of a storm shelter? Did you receive rebate money from the state for the purchase of a storm shelter? Did last storm season finally scare you enough to make the jump to making sure your family is never in a helpless position again when severe weather strikes? If you are in need of any type of storm shelter or safe room, come by one of our showrooms and check out what F5 Storm shelters has to offer. We have all three sizes of our underground garage shelters on display. You can get inside and get a feel for which size is the best fit for your family. Would you prefer an above ground option? Each of our showrooms has saferooms on display as well. Any questions you may have will be answered by an on site professional. We have onsite employees there to assist you and help guide you towards a storm shelter that fits best for your needs.
For people located in the central part of the state, our showroom in Edmond is located at 16524 N Pennsylvania Ave. We are about 2 miles North of Quail Springs Mall on 164th. Located in Fenwick Plaza.
For people in the NE portion of the state, our Tulsa location is located at 10846 S Memorial Dr. It’s about 2 miles South of the Creek Turnpike on Memorial. We are in the same shopping center as the Walmart located at the corner of 111th and Memorial. Directly behind the Sonic and Charlie’s Chicken.
Both locations are opened Monday through Friday 10am-6pm. We are also open on Saturnday 10am-2pm. If you can’t make it in during any of these times, don’t worry, we also open up for scheduled appointments. Just call us and set something up:
OKC (405) 824-7209
Tulsa (918) 970-4770
F5 Storm Shelters, tornado shelters, saferooms
Stay Alive, Call F5!
by Blake Lee | May 13, 2015 | News
2015 has been a hectic storm season for much of Oklahoma. Non stop rain, flash flooding, and constant tornado warnings have become the norm, but as we approach the middle of May, the end of severe weather season ( if there is such a thing) is in sight. The Summer heat makes it much more difficult for tornadoes to form and we typically get a break until Fall returns. We are almost there everybody, only a few more weeks of anxiety. Speaking of anxiety, I’m sure everybody has seen the media coverage about the lady that drowned inside her outdoor cellar and probably seen the pictures of storm shelters that have either floated out of the ground or have filled up with water. How is all of this happening? I thought being underground was the safest place to be when tornadoes strike. Is this still the case or should I consider an above ground safe room instead? Many of you reading this have probably had these thoughts when reading the paper or after seeing some of the images. Let’s further examine the situation.
Are underground storm shelters still safe??
Without hesitation, the answer to this question is YES! The hundreds if not thousands of lives that have been saved over just the last decade are proof of that. Google ‘storm shelters save lives’ and you can easily find a countless number of articles and videos about people who fled for safety during a tornado in an underground shelter. Underground garage model storm shelters and outdoor storm cellars are not perfect, but they are pretty close to it. Do some research, we can’t find any documented evidence of anybody ever being killed in an underground garage model shelter that meets FEMA guidelines and has been impact tested at Texas Tech’s Wind institute in Lubbock. It just hasn’t happened. The lady that drowned inside her cellar last week was a tragedy and everybody at F5 Storm Shelters is really very sad about it. We know that people buy our products because they no longer want to stress about severe weather. They want to know that no matter what happens, their family is going to be safe. Unfortunately, all storm shelters are not created equal. Older storm cellars that don’t meet current day FEMA guidelines and DIY projects are not going to be as safe as a storm shelter sold and installed to you by a professional. Sadly, the cellar this lady was in appears like it was extremely old and outdated. Before ever purchasing a storm shelter, please make sure to do your research. Make sure the company’s designs meet FEMA guidelines by meeting FEMA codes P-320, 360, and ICC-500. Has the company had their products impact tested and if so can they show you proof? What kind of rating do they have with the BBB and what are previous customers saying about them online? All these things matter.
Why are all these storm shelters floating out of the ground and filling up with water?
If you have a storm shelter already or are currently looking around for one, the pictures floating around social media have probably been pretty disturbing. The sight of the underground garage model filled to the lids with water terrifying. This is definitely a disadvantage for this particular model. Luckily, the person was able to get their family out of the shelter to avoid the rushing water and their house was not in an area greatly affected by the tornado, but what can be done to prevent this from happening again? Sadly, there isn’t a whole lot. These shelters are designed for safety from severe weather. Just about every company is installing flush mount storm shelters these days. This means, they are installed so that the lids will be even with your garage floor. If you are concerned with water getting inside your shelter, you can have your installer raise the shelter slightly above the garage floor. When they go to re-pour the slab, the should be able to trow the wet concrete at an angle to steer water around the tornado shelter. To the naked eye, it will still look flush, but will also offer protection from filling with water. Like we said, these shelters are designed for safety from tornadoes. The weather last week in Oklahoma was just a crazy fluke type situation. The day these shelters filled with water, the Oklahoma City metro area got 8 inches of rain. At one point, 3 inches fell in just an hour! That is more rain then the area gets in the average month. In fact if you go back through state history, OKC has never received so much water in such a short time frame. For the first time ever, the National Weather Service issued a “flash flood emergency” for Oklahoma City. This type of thing just never happens and more then likely, will never happen again. If you live in a low area or even in a flood plan and had an underground storm shelter in your garage, if the garage flooded, there was nowhere for water to go except inside the storm shelter. However, if you do not know if you live in a flood plane, upon going to pull a permit through your city, they should inform you wheter you are or not. If you are told that you do live in this type of area, an above ground safe room is going to be a safer option for your situation. Despite these freak occurrences, seeking safety in a storm shelter is still your safest option if a tornado is close by.
What about the outdoor cellars popping completely out of the ground?
To me, this all looks like an installation issue. If you have seen the images, notice that all of them are steel shelters and not concrete. Steel is good because it is much lighter then concrete. It allows a company to more easily access your back yard for an installation. Instead of backing a truck up to the hole and lowering the shelter into the ground, which requires alot of free space, you can simply pick the shelter up with an excavator and carry it to the hole that has been dug. Being that the shelter weights substantially less, you can’t simply install it the same was you would install a concrete unit. These type of shelters need to be at least somewhat encased in concrete. Back-filling with just dirt will not prevent the shelter from floating if we get a lot of rain. When you install storm shelters, you have to have blueprints created and sealed by an engineer. This not only discloses how the shelter is to be built, but will also describe how it needs to be installed. Every blueprint created it going to have a section that discusses buoyancy. This lists what needs to be done to prevent the shelter from ever floating out of the ground. This all goes back to researching the company you select to install your shelter. Make sure that they know what they are doing.
If you have any questions or concerns about anything to do with storm shelters or saferooms, please feel free to call us. We have locations in both OKC and Tulsa so we are easily accessible by most people in the state. We want you to know that we are here to help. Stay Alive, Call F5!
F5 Storm Shelters OKC (405) 824-7209
Tulsa (918) 970-4770 Stay Alive, Call F5!
Are underground garage storm shelters safe?
