With Tennessee lying in one of the top tornado-prone areas in the States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more storms are likely.
“It’s hard to run to my mom’s basement whenever there’s a storm,” Amanda Pritchard said. “And sometimes these storms happen in the middle of the night.”
Amanda Pritchard, her husband and her three children went to her mom’s house on April 27, but the family had already decided to buy a storm shelter before these historic storms devastated the area.
But months earlier, Amanda Pritchard started researching what type of storm shelters were available to help protect her family of three children and her husband, Bob. What she found was the Granger ISS Inground Safety Shelter — the best storm shelter, in her opinion, available.
Not only is this shelter and its continual upgrades officially tested by FEMA, it is also made out of half-inch, double-wall polyethylene — which is almost indestructible — in a modern process called rotation molding. It also exceeds FEMA 320 and 361 testing.
“It will withstand 2x4’s being flung at it at 100 miles per hour,” Bob Pritchard said. “They have been dropped from 22 feet and only had a little bit of road rash on them.”
“We have one now,” she said. But, at the time when she started her research at the end of last year, the closest place to Cleveland to buy one was in Ohio. And, no, the Pritchards didn’t have one when the big storms and tornadoes hit in April. “But now, it will provide a secure and safe place for our family.”
School teachers by trade, the Pritchards were so pleased and happy with their shelter, they approached the company about being the exclusive dealership based right here in Cleveland but as the contact point for the Southeast region.
“We had a need,” Bob Pritchard said. “So, if we had a need, other people in the community would have this same need.”
According to The Granger website (www.ingroundsafetyshelter.com): The ISS Inground Storm Shelter is the leading storm shelter innovation on the planet. It’s the only double wall polyethylene unit manufactured by a world leading rotational molding company. This shelter is guaranteed not to crack, rust, rot, leak or float and is the only Storm Shelter on the market to have a 1,000-plus-year life span. The Granger ISS Storm shelter outperforms other shelter materials, such as fiberglass, steel and concrete. Also, with this shelter, people don’t have to worry about mold, rodents, mildew or snakes getting in.
The Pritchards have the exclusive dealership rights for the Southeast region for Granger Plastics in Ohio.
It only takes three to four hours forinstallation. A unique feature about the design of this shelter is that individulals can easily install it themsleves.
The shelter can also be installed in an existing garage of a home,but the Pritchards recommend already incorporating this shelter into the design if someone is building a new home.These shelters are made for the average family, but can hold five people the size of NFL football players. A circular bench is built in along the walls, which are 6-feet-1-inch high. The interior is 8-feet-by-10-feet in size with a built-in LED light. A handrail goes along the side of the stairs. Cell phones will work from inside the shelter.
“It’s just a safe place to go during a storm or tornado,” she said.
“Nothing is going to hurt you when you’re in it,” he said.
“The peace of mind is priceless,” she added.In addition, until February 2012, Tennessee residents will be able to get a tax refund on the purchase of a storm shelter. Amanda Pritchard has all the forms required to get this tax refund money back.Financing with easy terms also is available for the $5,600 shelter.
“This is less than most other shelters,” Amanda Pritchard said. “Plus, if you decide to move, you can dig it up and move it to your new home. The warranty still applies. We want people to know there is a different option.”
