While a tornado can be a devastating natural disaster for those caught in its path, the destruction can actually benefit construction companies once the dust has settled. Twisters that wreaked havoc across the Midwest last year helped keep some construction companies afloat as they assisted with the rebuilding, and it now appears the disasters could have even more help for the industry.
According to KMOX in St. Louis, interest is up in the construction of tornado shelters, where people can safely hide from the storms. The safe rooms can take on various forms. Sometimes it simply means reinforcing an existing area of the house, like a closet. Other times, a steel enclosure is attached to a garage. Some even build theirs underground, similar to a bomb shelter.
Joplin, Mo., resident Tom Cook decided to invest in a tornado shelter after his wife was killed in a 2008 storm. When a tornado hit Missouri again last year, Cook and his daughter hid in a reinforced steel shelter. When they emerged, their house was gone - but they had survived, and the shelter had held strong.
"It was blown away completely - again," he told the news source. "The only thing standing was that storm room."
Besides private purchases, construction companies are also benefiting from state and local governments seeking to build shelters. Since 2005, 31 shelters have been built in Missouri, with nine more under construction. A $62 million bond was recently approved that will allow more shelters to be built at schools across the state. When not in use, they will double as gymnasiums, classrooms or kitchens.
Construction companies looking to build shelters will need a range of construction equipment to get the job done. The online auction site IronPlanet offers a wide array of concrete equipment, excavators and much more, often at a more affordable price than buying new.
