Possible shelter locations in a house on a slab-on-grade or crawlspace foundation include the following spaces on the first floor:

• Bathroom
• Closet
• Storage room
• Laundry room (provided the load-bearing wall between it and the garage, as shown in Figure II.6, can be properly separated from the structure of the house)
• Corner of the garage

Regardless of where the shelter is built, it must be equipped with a door that will resist the impact of missiles. Remember, if the first floor of the house is below the level of storm surge or the level of flooding from any other source, it is not a suitable location for a shelter. In this situation, a possible alternative would be to build an exterior shelter on a slab-on-grade elevated on fill above the flood level.