DuPont recently opened its first storm shelter testing center at its Chestnut Run site in Wilmington, Del. The multi-million dollar facility will allow the company to test different materials for its DuPont StormRoom with Kevlar. DuPont also will use the site to develop new technologies that will further help protect people and property during dangerous storms.

“Historically, April kicks off tornado season in the United States, but already this year we’ve seen the incredible destruction these storms can cause, including a hit on a major urban area, Atlanta, which dispels the myth that tornadoes don’t target big cities,” said Thomas F. Schuler, vice president and general manager DuPont Building Innovations. “This test facility, our first at a DuPont site, will allow us to test new materials for storm protection and to make the StormRoom stronger and more cost-effective for consumers and building owners.”

DuPont also recently announced an agreement with national builder Epcon Communities to offer the DuPont StormRoom with Kevlar to its 138 builder franchisees – the first agreement to offer a storm shelter nationally.

DuPont estimates that 90 percent of its patent-pending storm shelters are now in use in rural and suburban communities, with 10 percent installed in cities. Initially, sales for the StormRoom with Kevlar were focused on Tornado Alley, the eight states where most tornadoes strike during the year. DuPont has found, however, that many other parts of the United States, including coastal areas where hurricanes and other wind-based storms can wreak havoc, need the safety and security provided by the StormRoom. DuPont has seen a 300 percent increase in sales in states outside Tornado Alley.

According to DuPont research, consumers are increasingly focused on home safety and the need for functionality in a storm shelter. The DuPont StormRoom allows for electricity and plumbing installation, as well as cell phone and radio reception, so its occupants can monitor news and weather information. When not in use, the StormRoom can double as an extra room, storage space or powder room, providing year-round utility.

The DuPont StormRoom with Kevlar is designed to withstand the impact of a 2' x 4' timber propelled at 100 mph – the speed at which the timber would travel in the strongest tornado, which generates wind gusts of up to 250 mph. The StormRoom also is crush-resistant and engineered to support a uniformly distributed weight of more than 70,000 pounds, the weight of a fully loaded tractor-trailer.