What Is the Minimum Square Footage per Person for a Tornado Community Safe Room?

 For a tornado community safe room, the number of spaces for standing or seated, wheelchair-bound, or bedridden people should be determined based on the expected occupancy of the safe room as calculated by the designer and the applicable authority having jurisdiction. As a minimum, each community safe room should be sized to accommodate at least one wheelchair space for every 200 occupants.

It is also important to note that community safe rooms should provide equal access for all persons in accordance with all federal, state, and local Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and ordinances. Table 1 shows the minimum safe room floor area per occupant for tornado community safe rooms.

*See FEMA P-361 for more information on usable safe room floor area.