Types of Storm Shelters

These are the six types of storm shelters you can request through this site in Amarillo, Texas. Independent local installers sell and install them; this site only passes on your estimate request. Compare how each works and what to ask before hiring.

Open in-ground storm shelter with concrete steps in a Panhandle backyard

Underground / In-Ground Storm Shelters in Amarillo

An underground or in-ground storm shelter is a steel or concrete unit buried in the yard, reached by a hatch and steps. It keeps people below grade, out of the path of wind-borne debris. Send a estimate request and independent installers can review your yard.

In-ground shelters suit many Amarillo lots because the Panhandle is flat and most homes have no basement. The unit sits in an excavated pit, is anchored or backfilled so it cannot float or shift, and usually has a sloped door that sheds rain.

Questions worth asking: how the shelter is waterproofed and drained, how it is ventilated, whether the door can be opened from inside if debris lands on it, and whether the unit has been tested to the ICC 500 standard that FEMA P-361 refers to.

Distance from the house matters. A yard shelter must be reachable within the short time a tornado warning gives, including for children, older relatives and pets. Utility lines must be located before digging, and building work inside Amarillo city limits generally needs a City permit.

More about underground shelters →

Reinforced concrete shelter room with a steel door in a home basement

Basement Tornado Shelters in Amarillo

A basement tornado shelter is a reinforced room built inside an existing or new basement, with walls, ceiling and door designed for extreme wind and debris. FEMA P-320 notes that basement areas can be designed as safe rooms. In Amarillo, the work generally needs a City permit.

A basement is already below ground, but an ordinary basement is not automatically a shelter: the floor above can collapse and debris can enter through stairs and windows. A shelter room adds reinforced walls, a reinforced ceiling and a tested door.

The City of Amarillo residential permits page applies the 2021 IRC with city amendments and notes that basements under 400 sq ft without escape openings shall be designed as a storm shelter. That makes it worth discussing shelter design early if you are adding a small basement.

Ask the installer how the room connects to the existing foundation, how it is ventilated and how they will handle moisture, since below-grade rooms in older Amarillo homes such as those in Wolflin or Bivins can collect water.

More about basement shelters →

Garage floor storm shelter hatch set into a concrete slab

Garage Floor Storm Shelters in Amarillo

A garage floor storm shelter is a below-floor unit set into a hole cut in the garage slab, closed by a sliding or lifting steel hatch. It is a common retrofit for existing Amarillo homes without a basement, because the shelter is reached without going outside.

The installer cuts and removes part of the slab, excavates, sets the unit and pours concrete around it. When the hatch is closed, a car can usually park over it, so the garage keeps its normal use.

Before agreeing to a garage floor shelter, confirm where gas, water and electrical lines run under the slab, whether the slab thickness and soil allow the cut, and how the hatch opens if a vehicle or debris is on top of it.

This option is popular for retrofit homes in established neighborhoods such as Puckett, Westover or Belmar. Ask the installer who pulls the City permit and whether the unit has been tested to ICC 500.

More about garage floor shelters →

Above-ground steel storm shelter anchored to a garage floor

Above Ground Storm Shelters in Amarillo

An above ground storm shelter is a steel or concrete unit anchored to a slab in a garage, closet or patio. It needs no stairs, which helps people with limited mobility. Its protection depends on the anchoring, the slab and the tested door and walls.

Above-ground shelters are bolted to an existing concrete slab with anchors sized for the forces of a tornado. The slab must be thick and sound enough, so ask the installer how they check it and what they do if it is not.

Because they sit at floor level, these shelters are easy to reach quickly and stay dry. They take up floor space in the garage or room where they are installed, so measure the area and the door clearances first.

Searching for above ground storm shelter cost? No official source lists a price for this type alone. The published ranges for safe rooms are on our storm shelter cost page; actual quotes vary with size, materials and anchoring.

More about above ground shelters →

Interior tornado safe room with a heavy steel door inside a home

Safe Rooms in Amarillo

A safe room is an interior room built or reinforced to FEMA P-320 and ICC 500 criteria so it provides near-absolute protection from extreme wind. It often doubles as a closet, bathroom or pantry and is easiest to add while a new home is being built.

FEMA P-320 gives designs for safe rooms built with reinforced concrete, masonry, or wood and steel walls, anchored to the foundation, with a tested door assembly. Because the room is inside the house, it can be reached in seconds.

Newer construction areas in southwest Amarillo, such as The Greenways and City View, are where adding a safe room during the build is most practical. In an existing home, a safe room can be retrofitted, but FEMA notes retrofits generally cost more than new construction.

Ask the builder or installer which FEMA P-320 design or ICC 500-tested product they use, how the room is anchored, and what documentation you will receive. FEMA does not approve or certify products, so be wary of anyone claiming a shelter is FEMA approved.

More about safe rooms →

Prefabricated concrete storm shelter unit on a trailer beside an excavated pit

Prefabricated Bunkers in Amarillo

A prefabricated bunker is a factory-built steel or concrete shelter delivered by truck and installed on site, either below ground or anchored above ground. Because it is made off site, installation can be quick, but site preparation and anchoring still decide performance.

Prefabricated units come in set sizes, so choose one that fits everyone in your household with room to sit. FEMA P-320 gives minimum floor area guidance per occupant that is useful when comparing sizes.

Ask for documentation that the model has been tested to ICC 500, and that installation follows the manufacturer's anchoring specifications. Delivery needs truck access to the site, which matters on tight lots or behind fences.

Many Panhandle properties outside city limits, around Canyon, Hereford or Dumas, have the open space prefabricated units need. Rules outside Amarillo differ, so check with your city or county before installation.

More about prefabricated bunkers →

Service Areas

Requests are accepted from Amarillo, in Potter and Randall Counties, and from five nearby Texas Panhandle towns. Each town has its own page with local facts. Installers confirm whether they cover your address; availability is not guaranteed, especially for Pampa.

Towns covered around Amarillo
Town	County	Population (2020)	From Amarillo (straight line)
Amarillo, TX	Potter & Randall	–	Main area
Canyon, TX	Randall	14,836	about 17 miles south
Hereford, TX	Deaf Smith	14,972	about 43 miles southwest
Pampa, TX	Gray	16,612	about 54 miles northeast
Borger, TX	Hutchinson	12,551	about 39 miles north-northeast
Dumas, TX	Moore	14,501	about 45 miles north

Population: 2020 Census via Wikipedia and Census QuickFacts. Distances are approximate straight-line miles; road miles are longer.