Building Science Resource Library
The Building Science Resource Library contains all of FEMA’s hazard-specific guidance that focuses on creating disaster-resistance communities.
You can search for a document by its title, or filter the collection to browse by:
- Disaster Type: High winds, flood, earthquake, etc.
- Document Type: Brochure, report, fact sheet, infographic, etc.
- Audience: Building professionals & engineers, individuals & homeowners, teachers & kids, etc.
Provides guidance on the NFIP regulations concerning the required use of flood-damage resistant construction materials for building components located below the Base Flood Elevation in Special Flood Hazard Areas (both A and V zones).
The Bulletins are changing to update and streamline their content and presentation. These changes are captured in this fact sheet.
This sixth edition of FEMA P-320 presents updated and refined criteria for residential safe rooms through reference to the newly updated fifth edition of FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms (FEMA, 2024d). FEMA P-320 draws on these updated criteria to address how to design and construct a safe room for a one- or two-family dwelling that provides near-absolute protection from wind and wind-borne debris for occupants. It should be noted that the updates in this edition of FEMA P-320 focus guidance exclusively on residential safe rooms for one- and two-family dwellings. Prescriptive safe room designs that meet FEMA criteria for one- and two-family dwellings are also included as a part of this publication. The 2024 editions of this publication and FEMA P-361 supersede FEMA’s National Performance Criteria for Tornado Shelters (FEMA, 1999) as well as earlier versions of FEMA P-320.
This publication provides guidance from the FEMA about the planning, design, construction, and operation of safe rooms. It presents important information about the design and construction of residential and community safe rooms that will protect people during extreme-wind events such as tornadoes and hurricanes. This edition also features updated FEMA Funding Criteria for safe rooms and clarified guidance based on ICC 500-2023, Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters.
The Building Codes Save – Fire Hazards Pilot Study built upon the “Building Codes Save: A Nationwide Study of Loss Prevention” by evaluating financial and life safety savings due to modern building codes. Specifically, the Pilot Study expands the hazards analyzed to include structure fire and wildfire.
Residential safe rooms are becoming more popular as families seek protection from violent tornadoes. Like any other room, safe rooms must be accessed through an opening or door. Just as the walls and roof of a safe room are designed and built to protect against extreme winds and wind-borne debris, so must the safe room door. When careful selection and installation of the safe room door assembly is overlooked, the safe room door opening can leave occupants at great risk of injury or death during tornadoes. This fact sheet provides graphics and useful information about selecting adequate door assemblies for residential safe rooms.
Prefabricated safe rooms are becoming more popular as people seek protection from tornadoes. Due to the extreme forces safe rooms may experience, there are very specific foundation and anchoring requirements that, if overlooked, can leave occupants at risk of injury or death during tornadoes. This fact sheet provides graphics and useful information about the foundation and anchoring criteria in FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms,