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northoftheborder

(7,635 posts)

23. Most if not all old houses in rural Texas had cellars (partially underground,.....

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Original post)

Tue May 21, 2013, 05:16 PM

May 2013

.....partially taking up part of crawl space under house). Used to store things, and as a place of shelter. My grandparents had a cellar out from the house, partially underground, with a round mound of dirt on top, with a slanted door in the side. I used to love running up and down the little "mountain" and remember being carried out in the middle of the night, with the wind screeching and blowing clouds fast across the sky, to the storm cellar. No weather forecasters in those days.....so frequent visits to cellars at the slightest hint of storms, especially tornadoes.

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For all those who were asking:Why Don't More Homes in Oklahoma Have Basements? [View all] dixiegrrrrl May 2013 OP

It's like people think that those who live in Tornado Alley have never considered these things. Brickbat May 2013 #1

Yes, they can build to resist normal tornadoes with hurricane straps and such Kolesar May 2013 #6

So what? Eddie Haskell May 2013 #2

It's not just waterproofing... NYC_SKP May 2013 #4

But there was that one guy who had what looked like about a 6 foot square little space with Squinch May 2013 #11

These are the option, reinforced bunkers, don't even need to be below grade. NYC_SKP May 2013 #13

You mean something like a "Storm Cellar" Bandit May 2013 #15

But am I right in thinking there were very few in this area? The news reporter was Squinch May 2013 #17

the water table where I live is 3 ft along with clay soil. We have a basement notadmblnd May 2013 #12

I'll agree that high water table doesn't preclude basements, especially partial basements. NYC_SKP May 2013 #18

up here we put drainage ditches in. notadmblnd May 2013 #20

We call them French drains, but they work more for rain water than for water table. NYC_SKP May 2013 #21

ours extended probably 10 ft past the house out toward the back yard. notadmblnd May 2013 #22

The acidic clay soil on my wet wet lot dissolved the calcium in our basement's mortar and blocks Kolesar May 2013 #3

Some states, like mine, have a NO disclosure law. dixiegrrrrl May 2013 #8

Despite that, I still made a profit on my house when I sold it ten years ago Kolesar May 2013 #9

Reinforced concrete block safe closets are an option. nt NYC_SKP May 2013 #5

That yields a follow-up... Chan790 May 2013 #7

I think we also need to become prepared for more of these "once in a lifetime" Squinch May 2013 #16

What would prevent communtiy tunnel bunkers, Isoldeblue May 2013 #10

Went through a big tornado years ago and it turned out that if we had gone to the basement we would jwirr May 2013 #14

Lots of people have tornado shelters LeftInTX May 2013 #19

Most if not all old houses in rural Texas had cellars (partially underground,..... northoftheborder May 2013 #23

Doesn't match my experience FreeJoe May 2013 #24