Which is better/worse & why?
Also, of the outdoor shelters, is the flat-top safer than the sloped?
Also, of the outdoor shelters, is the flat-top safer than the sloped?
We have the garage, below ground, but it was not my preference. I was overruled. If a car is in the garage and you get hit big by a tornado you have a fair chance of cooking in the shelter. That can even happen with no car but a house fire. Pull your car out and it could be destroyed by hail and no tornado. YMMV.
We had the "in garage floor" style in our previous home. We liked it with two exceptions; being in the floor, it would accumulate a lot of dust, and as we got older we began to thing about the ease of getting in and out. The outdoor types would likely have the same issues.
The home already had the garage floor shelter when we purchased it.
The home already had the garage floor shelter when we purchased it.
I’m guessing it depends on if you live in Oklahoma or the Twilight Zone. 
Seriously though, I don’t think one can be categorically nominated as “The Best” but would depend on your individual situation. I don’t have either but have a basement that serves as our “Fraidy Hole”.
Seriously though, I don’t think one can be categorically nominated as “The Best” but would depend on your individual situation. I don’t have either but have a basement that serves as our “Fraidy Hole”.
Actually more options than one would think, there is one that is above ground, and accordians open, so you can use it as a work bench in your garage.
One benefit of the garage in the ground shelters you can change your oil while standing up. You just need to trust your wife to back in and out over it... or get a stepladder.
One benefit of the garage in the ground shelters you can change your oil while standing up. You just need to trust your wife to back in and out over it... or get a stepladder.
Well there are reports of people drowning in the garage shelters and natural gas poisoning if the house gets destroyed over top of them. But the outdoor sloped shelters are partially above ground and I just don't know if that concrete slope could handle a direct hit by an airborne Chevy Suburban from an F5?
I solved the dust and bug issue. I put a large plastic matt over it. During bad weather I pull it to the front of the garage to avoid asphyxiation. Cost of matt, $70 . Vacuum out shelter and check batteries every spring.
We did the same, after the first year or so. that did pretty much solve the issue, except during the Spring when the potential need arises. I would move the cover off incase my wife needed the shelter if I was gone. So then we would get, in addition to dust blowing in, grass clippings. But, we did indeed have cause to use it a few times, and were very happy to have it.
Bagged clippings at my old house so no issue with those and most of the time kept the garage shut. This house not much grass around the driveway and in middle garage bay, we keep the garage door shut. Oh well, the biggest problem I have is if we get larger vehicles. To get in the shelter we may have to park the vehicle in the driveway to get hailed on, however if there is a tornado hail damage to a vehicle would be the least of my worries.
You don't want an outdoor shelter. Running through hail to get to your shelter, which is damp and full of lizards and snakes, is not as much fun as it sounds. Having had both I'd go for the in-garage shelter any time.
You hang a ball from the ceiling to make sure you pull forward enough so you can get in with the vehicle over you. The vehicle is part of your protection from falling and windblown debris.
As for rain and gas, with the wind blowing 70+ miles per hour any gas should be blown way off down the county. Rain and other water accumulation is minimal since the sides are sloped upward about 4-6 inches. Only what falls on the top of the shelter (if no vehicle) and runs through the venting, or is blown sideways under the vehicle and through the venting gets through.
You hang a ball from the ceiling to make sure you pull forward enough so you can get in with the vehicle over you. The vehicle is part of your protection from falling and windblown debris.
As for rain and gas, with the wind blowing 70+ miles per hour any gas should be blown way off down the county. Rain and other water accumulation is minimal since the sides are sloped upward about 4-6 inches. Only what falls on the top of the shelter (if no vehicle) and runs through the venting, or is blown sideways under the vehicle and through the venting gets through.
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