"If a cloud comes and the wind blows a little bit, and it starts to thunder and lightning, I want to go somewhere."
That's why Fae Brumbelo and her husband Wilbur had a storm shelter installed in their backyard.
"I feel more secure I feel like what if it blows everything away, we're okay."
Living in Saline County, the Brumbelo's have seen what tornadoes can do.
"It makes you sleep better, it makes you feel better to have a place you and you're family can go into," says Robert Toll, Owner of
Arkansas Tornado Shelters in Bryant.
Toll’s shelters are FEMA-approved and can withstand high winds and flying debris. Studies have shown that having a shelter, whether built from steel, concrete or fiberglass can reduce the risk of people getting hurt or killed.
“Arkansas is always under the gun as far as tornadoes,” says Toll.
With peak tornado season in Arkansas from March to May, Toll says business is picking up. In fact, Toll says he’s seen a steady increase in sales over the past three years.
"This is just a preventative measure, just like you buy car insurance, life insurance home owner's insurance this is an insurance that can save your life," says Toll.
"I want to live as long as I can," says Wilbur Brumbelo.
Through
ADEM, you can receive up to a $1,000 dollar rebate through the Arkansas Residential Safe Room Program. According to ADEM website, the rebate funding has been used up and pending legislative approval for new funding. Applications are still being taken.
