Underground and in-garage storm shelters around Jonesboro

Getting below ground is the old Arkansas answer to tornadoes, and it still works. Today's prefabricated underground shelters are usually steel, precast concrete, or fiberglass. They're set into an excavated hole and anchored, and the door sits at or near grade.

In-yard underground shelters

These go in the yard, usually close to the back door so you aren't crossing open ground with storms coming. Installation is typically excavation, setting the unit, anchoring it, backfilling, and finishing around the entry. Think about:

• Access for the equipment. The installer needs to get an excavator and, for heavy units, a truck or crane to the spot.
• Buried utilities. Call Arkansas One Call (811) before digging. A reputable installer handles this.
• Distance from the house. Closer is better. Warnings can be short. The 2020 Jonesboro tornado went from touchdown to lifting in 16 minutes.

In-garage (below-floor) shelters

An in-garage shelter is set into a hole cut through the garage slab. Most have a sliding steel lid that sits flush with the floor so you can still park over it. You don't have to go outside to reach it, which counts at night or in hail. Two things FEMA flags for garage installs (FEMA P-320):

• A parked car can block the entry. Know where you'll park when storms are in the forecast.
• The slab around the cut may need reinforcing if you'll drive over it.

Groundwater and flooding on the delta

This is the big local question. Jonesboro itself is on Crowley's Ridge, but much of Craighead County and the towns around it are flat Mississippi delta. FEMA's homeowner guidance names flood hazard areas and naturally high groundwater as conditions where an in-ground safe room isn't the right choice. It also says that if you're in a Special Flood Hazard Area, putting a safe room below ground isn't recommended (FEMA P-320). Water in a buried shelter is a nuisance at best. A rising water table can also push on a buried tank that isn't properly anchored.

• Look up your address on FEMA's flood map.
• Tell the installer if your yard holds water after heavy rain or if a neighbor's shelter takes on water.
• Ask how the unit is anchored against uplift and how the lid or door seals.
• If the site is wet, an above-ground safe room may be the better call.