In Australia is known as a land of droughts and flooding rains, and threats ranging from raging bushfires in many regions to the cyclones of the north show how cruel and indiscriminate mother nature can be.
Many have discussed the use of ‘bunkers’ or ‘safe rooms’ to help avoid the impact of such events and these discussions are usually about the safety of humans and pets – cats and dogs. In the USA many in the mid-west have reinforced cellars to afford some protection to tornadoes but one lade in Oklahoma, Mary Ellen Hickman, has gone one further.
“It is important to remember your animals when these storms occur, especially as the country heads into “tornado season” says Mary Ellen, owner of Whispering Winds Ranch, who has done something to help keep her horses safe.
The bunker during construction – made from reinforced concrete poured on site.
Since moving to Oklahoma in 2006, Mary Ellen said that they have only had to get in their tornado shelter at home twice. “What really inspired me to create a safe room for my horses was the tornado that went through Moore,” she elaborates. On May 20, 2013 an EF5 rated tornado tore through Moore, Oklahoma and the surrounding areas, killing 24 and injuring 377. “The tornado crossed over 35 into Moore on exit 116, and I live on exit 114. As the crow flies, the tornado was a mile from our farm and I watched it go by. The scariest thing I have ever witnessed. We only had minimal damage to our farm, but we would have to drive through Moore on our way to Oklahoma City and that was the first time I really understood what Post Traumatic Stress was about. You would just cry.”
“I told myself I can’t live here and not provide a place of safety for my horses,” she says.
The interior of the finished safe room.
“I live on flat ground, and trying to build underground just wasn’t cost effective. I started doing some research, and designed it to look like a horse trailer. You can’t build a safe room any wider than 12 feet, but you can go longer. Mine is about 35 feet, and is built strong, like a bridge,” she explains.
The completed concrete structure is thicker than regulation safe rooms and took about a month to finish. The room can house 10 horses comfortably, with room to fit more “if they are friendly”, with horses able to stand in the aisle ways. “We have race horses and Barrel horses, and often they are out at the track,” Mary Ellen explains. “We usually have about six, but I often have friends that stop by on their way to Oklahoma City, so I wanted room for more. You could make the safe room as big or small as you want. You don’t even need to make it as elaborate with stalls on the inside as I did. We just don’t have a fixed group of horses, and I didn’t want to worry about one fighting with another if a storm ever happens.”
The completed building is clad to match surrounding buildings on the farm and to provide an additional layer of protection (attached to steel battons it would help reflect bushfire heat).
Mary Ellen says she ran a tornado drill to practice, and then spoke to her vet about how to smooth the process out. “After talking to my vet, I have a bottle of Ace on hand. If they have to all be in there at once, I’ll be able to give them a little Ace in the muscle before they all have to go in. That’s what is nice about living here, is that they are able to predict down to the minute where the storm will be crossing next.”
“Since I’ve lived here, we’ve always had a warning but no tornado. I would consider a warning to be when the sky looks bad and they tell us there is a possibility. That gives me plenty of time to give them some Ace and load everyone into the safe room. Hay bags are already hung up, and I can set water buckets in the room. I’ve got emergency lights up so we can see.”
Mary Ellen says she didn’t run water to the room because the cost was too high, and it is only a temporary sanctuary. “In a worst case scenario, I would keep them there overnight but I have water right outside. It’s not something to stay in for days, but it’s a safe place to be. There are no guarantees, but it gives me a great peace of mind.”
In Australia
In Australia this type of room would provide huge protection against storms, cyclones and bushfire.
On a hilly site it could be built into the face of a hill allowing the earth to provide massive protection on three sides and over the roof.
On a flat site like the one above a bunker could be constructed of reinforced concrete as shown for maximum protection, or with filled & reinforced concrete blockwork. To improve bushfire survival the surrounding area should be kept clear of debris and plants and the door should not face any thick vegetation.
The option of bunkers for humans has been discussed by the Victorian Royal Commission (PDF) into Bushfires, and also by the Bushfire CRC. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency has published information about constructing safe rooms.
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Story contributed to by Pleasurehorse magazine and Mary Ellen Hickman.
