My new storm shelter

I usually don’t write about this kind of stuff, but since there were storms in the Oklahoma City area last night, I thought I would share my experience getting a storm shelter for me. Since last May, you haven’t been able to turn on the TV or browse the web without seeing the flood of ads for the various Oklahoma City storm shelter companies promising to keep you safe. I decided to give in a get one. Choosing one can be an overwhelming task, but here’s how I got through it.

Choosing the Right Type of Shelter 
Storm shelters come in many forms with varying sizes, features, and installation locations. If you are like me and clueless to the various types of shelters and the locations they can be installed, National Geographic has a great article on the various types of tornado shelters. Most companies only specialize in one or two types of shelters. Figuring out which type of shelter will best accommodate your house and your budget will help you narrow down the list of companies to a more manageable size.

Since my house is already built and has a backyard prone to flooding, I chose to go with an underground garage storm shelter. I don’t park in the garage anyway, so this option worked out perfectly for me.

Scouring the Reviews 
A storm shelter is only as reliable as the company that installed it. I scoured the various review sites and testimonials. I tend to put more trust in independently verified reviews from third party sites like Angie’s List that are much less susceptible to manipulation and fraudulent reviews.

After I got my short list of companies together, I called each of them for a quote and asked for references. Most all of the companies were happy to provide them. The ones that were not seemed like they had something to hide and I immediately crossed them off. The fact a business is unwilling or can’t give a reference usually matters more than what the reference actually says.

I find the fact a business is willing to give a references more impactful than what the reference has to say in most cases.

Who I Went With Ultimately 
I decided on a storm shelter from Oklahoma City based storm shelter company Thunderground. I liked the fact that they are local and not based out of state. Also, they were one of the few Oklahoma City storm shelter companies specializing in underground garage storm shelters.

I just needed a small shelter so I went with their “standard regular” shelter. I was surprised to learn that their price included the taxes and installation.

They were booked a few weeks out on installation, which I expected given that it was at the start of the storm season when I reserved mine. The actual installation was surprisingly quick. It only took them around four hours from start to finish.

I haven’t had to use my shelter yet, but I’m glad I got one. It gives me piece of mind knowing I don’t have to scramble to find somewhere for me and my dogs to go.