In the aftermath of multiple tornadoes that have ravaged the state, Hugg & Hall Mobile Storage of Little Rock has started a new company, Stormbox, that will construct storm shelters from shipping containers.
The company’s storm shelters will be above ground and fully accessible to wheelchairs, walkers and others with mobility challenges. Stormbox hopes to offer the safe rooms to schools, municipalities, nursing homes, industrial employers and other businesses.
“The Stormbox is an excellent choice for schools and large employers since multiple units can be strategically located on a campus to ensure quick access to shelter,” Art Kinnaman, vice president, said in a news release. “Our current designs are large enough to accommodate up to 50 people.”
Kinnaman told Arkansas Business the first unit, that will serve as a prototype, is expected to arrive soon. Installations are expected to begin near the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015.
As of now, there are two sizes available — a 20-foot shelter that holds 25 people and a 40-foot shelter that holds 50 people. The pricing of the shelters has not been finalized, Kinnaman said.
Stormbox, the wholly-owned subsidiary, has earned membership in the National Storm Shelter Association, the first company from Arkansas to do so, which is made up of safe room and tornado shelter providers that meet the standards of FEMA and the International Code Council.
Part of the standards process includes a review of the design by a third party evaluator and a debris impact and pressure testing at the Wind Science & Engineering Research Center at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.
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