Think you can rely on the government to protect you from storms? Think again.

Let’s be honest about Hurricane Dorian for a second: we dodged a major bullet.

Had this particular tropical storm maintained its intensity and projected path, the Florida peninsula would have experienced a similar fate as the Bahama Islands. Even the Carolinas were given a stay of execution as the monstrous storm chose to only brush the Outer Banks and coastline with its outer bands. With the exception of some moderate flooding a sporadic tornado outbreak, the southeast was largely spared from this slow trekking yet terrifying storm.

Despite the ominous ramifications of climate change and the growing frequency of category 5 storms, can we really afford to roll the dice with future storms? Despite the devastation rendered to the Carolina coast last year with Hurricane Florence, the final tally in destruction and loss of life could’ve easily been much higher. Is the hope of divine intervention and relying on fate rather than common sense a cogent argument in dealing with these storms? We don’t think so either.

There’s no room for error with an Elephant Safe Room

While you can’t change the course of nature, you can mitigate its effects. With any approaching storm, governments and local municipalities will routinely issue mandatory evacuation orders. Unfortunately, as was the case with Hurricane Katrina, evacuating to safer confines is more of a luxury for those who have the means of transportation and money to remove themselves from harm’s way.

Don’t let cost price you out of safety

Poverty is deadly. It’s a warm and fuzzy feeling to believe that your government will protect you in dire times of necessity, but this is simply no the case. With Katrina, more than 25 percent of people living in the Crescent City lived below the poverty line at the time of the storm’s arrival. Even more people didn’t have a car. So, what did the good people of New Orleans do when told they must leave the city? They stayed to weather the storm. Did their government provide them with adequate protection? Absolutely not.

You can’t rely on “Big Brother” or some unseen philanthropist to save you from pending doom. It’s not going to happen. Instead, you have to look out for yourself and one another. But storm protection and adequate shelters are not enough. So, what can you do? We recommend combining time, money and resources in investing in proven steel protection from Elephant Safe Rooms.

Panelized protection is more affordable than you think

A 6’ X 12’ Panelized Safe Room Kit is more than enough reinforced steel protection to safeguard 12 to 16 people from similar storms and tornados. Four families in a single neighborhood could pull together their funds to purchase one of these steel units. The fully welded safe rooms are able to withstand tornado force wind speeds when properly installed inside the home, garage, or even out in the open. You can install these units outside, when anchored to a properly reinforced concrete pad, for safety and security for your family. Each unit comes standard with a 36″ standard security door with a three-point security latch system, and a key-lockable deadbolt. Also, sheltered air vents allow air in and will keep debris out.