ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — How far are you willing to go to prepare for a hurricane?
Kerns Family Construction is now selling a steel-reinforced shelter they say can withstand a Category 5 storm.
The shelters are manufactured in Texas by a company called Florida Storm Shelter. The company claims its quarter-inch thick walls are the thickest currently available on the market.
The shelter can be anchored to your home's existing foundation.
Once inside, however, space is at a premium: at least in the standard, most popular model that measures 4 feet long and 6 feet wide.
"This would get four people through a storm," Tony Kerns said.
The shelters are tested and certified to withstand an EF-5 tornado and a Cat. 5 hurricane, according to Kerns.
"You can feel safe in this, this is like a bomb shelter, it really is," he said.
But it's safety at a price.
Models start at $7,000 plus taxes, including delivery and installation, and the tab can quickly climb to $12,000 or more to double the size, not including add-ons like a Port-O-Potty or air conditioning.
The shelters are designed to withstand high winds and flying debris, but not for rising water or storm surge, which can sometimes be the biggest threat during a storm.
"If you’re in an evacuation zone and they require you to evacuate it’s a good thing to still evacuate," Kerns said. “I live in Pasco and we’re not in a flood zone or anything like that, so it would be a perfect situation for us.”
Martin Harm says he's already ordered one, the larger version.
"We know what happened in the Panhandle and it touches so close to home," he said.
With grandkids nearby and in-laws in a mobile home, he says the approximately $10,000 price tag is worth it.
"Trust me, we'd love to take that opportunity, load everybody up and get out but if that doesn't happen we want to know we're safe and have that choice," he said.
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