Is there a FEMA approved storm shelter?

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No. FEMA doesn't approve, endorse, certify or recommend any contractor or product, and it says companies may not claim that they or their shelters are "FEMA approved" or "FEMA certified" (FEMA Building Science FAQ). There's no federal certification for shelter installers either. When you see those words in an ad, ask the seller what standard the shelter was actually built and tested to.

What a shelter can honestly claim

A seller can say a shelter meets ICC 500, FEMA P-361, or both. ICC 500 is the consensus standard for storm shelter design and construction. FEMA P-361 holds FEMA's safe room guidance, including funding criteria that are stricter than ICC 500. FEMA's own wording is that a storm shelter meets ICC 500 and a safe room meets ICC 500 plus the FEMA criteria (FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm).

The biggest difference for a house is wind speed. FEMA's criteria have a residential safe room built for 250 mph winds wherever it sits on the map, while ICC 500 lets the design speed follow the mapped wind speed for the location (FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm). FEMA calls it a best practice to follow safe room guidance even when no FEMA money is involved.

The numbers behind the standards

• Wind: FEMA's residential safe room plans are designed for 250 mph (FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm).
• Flying debris: walls, roof and door are tested against a 15-pound 2x4 board hitting end-on at 100 mph (FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm).
• Capacity: a residential safe room serves 16 people or fewer. Anything larger counts as a community safe room (FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm).
• Room per person: FEMA P-361 sets a minimum of 3 square feet of usable floor space for each person in a residential tornado safe room (FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes).

How claims get checked

FEMA doesn't check product designs or calculations. It says compliance claims should be backed by independent testing or engineering analysis, and that sellers should hand over paperwork such as test certification documents. The design professional who signs a certification is the one vouching for it, and FEMA says that person should be licensed in the state where the shelter goes in (FEMA, Safe Rooms; FEMA Building Science FAQ).

The National Storm Shelter Association runs an industry program. A producer member has to show the shelter passed debris impact testing and send its drawings to an NSSA-approved third-party engineering firm before it can put the NSSA seal on the shelter. NSSA notes it doesn't certify shelters itself. The producer certifies, and NSSA's process checks that claim (National Storm Shelter Association, storm shelter standards).

What to ask a Jonesboro installer

• Which standard does this exact model meet, ICC 500, FEMA P-361 or both, and which edition?
• Can I have a copy of the debris impact test report and the engineer's signed certification? Is the engineer licensed in Arkansas?
• Does the model carry the NSSA seal?
• Will you pull the City of Jonesboro storm shelter permit? The city's fee schedule lists it at $50 (City of Jonesboro, Inspections and Planning fee schedule).
• Will the install follow the maker's anchoring details for my slab or site?

Once it's in, add it to the Jonesboro E-911 Storm Shelter Registry so responders know where to look after a storm (Jonesboro E-911 Storm Shelter Registry). For prices and types, see the price guide and the shelter types page.

Quick answers

Is there such a thing as a FEMA approved storm shelter?

No. FEMA says it does not approve, endorse, certify or recommend any contractor or product, and that companies may not claim their shelters are FEMA approved or FEMA certified. A shelter can be built to meet FEMA P-361 criteria.

What does ICC 500 mean on a storm shelter?

ICC 500 is the consensus standard for designing and building storm shelters. FEMA says both storm shelters and safe rooms must meet all of ICC 500, and safe rooms also meet FEMA's stricter funding criteria in FEMA P-361.

How do I check a shelter's safety claims?

FEMA says claims of meeting FEMA P-361 and ICC 500 should be backed by independent testing or engineering analysis. Ask for the test certification and the engineer's signed certification for the exact model.

This page is a plain summary, not engineering advice. A licensed design professional and your local building office have the final word.

Sources: FEMA Building Science FAQ; FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm; FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes; FEMA, Safe Rooms; National Storm Shelter Association, storm shelter standards; City of Jonesboro, Inspections and Planning fee schedule; Jonesboro E-911 Storm Shelter Registry.