Quake/Tsunami

[Lamplighter]

The tv news is saying that about 10% of the houses in (Moore ?) Oklahoma have "safe rooms"

It seems to me that with the "tornado alley" reputation of Oklahoma and Red River Valley,
this % is very low, and I wonder if there is a belief that they are too expensive.

Safe rooms can be built to be "usable" in the daily life of the family.
So on a cost per sq ft, this is what FEMA says is average...

Q16. What is the cost of installing a safe room in a new home or small business?

A16. Costs for construction vary across the United States
The cost for constructing a safe room that can double as a master closet,
bathroom, or utility room inside a new home or small business
ranges from approximately $6,600 to $8,700 (in 2011 dollars).
This cost range is applicable to the basic designs in FEMA P-320 (FEMA, 2008a)
for an 8-foot by 8-foot safe room (approximately 64 square feet of protected space).
Larger, more refined designs for greater comfort cost more,
with 14‑foot by 14-foot safe rooms ranging in cost from approximately
$12,000 to $14,300.
The cost of the safe room can vary significantly, depending on the following factors:

* The size of the safe room
* The location of the safe room within the home or small business
* The number of exterior home walls used in the construction of the safe room
* The type of door used
* The type of foundation on which the safe room is constructed
* The location of the home or small business within the United States

Since (unless the Republicans have killed them ) there are federal grants to help pay for construction, state tax credits, etc.

It seems to me that $10/sq ft is a lot less expensive than
the sq footage in the remainder of the house, either new or retrofit.