CIA Agent’s Home Fallout Shelter Solution

Dear Money & Crisis Reader,

After taking one look at the sorry state of America’s public fallout shelters, it’s obvious that they can’t be depended on in a real nuclear event.

You’re far better off taking matters into your own hands… and building your own fallout shelter.

This kind of thing is a little outside my wheelhouse. So today I’m handing over Money & Crisis to security expert and former CIA agent Jason Hanson.

He’s going to run you through the basics of building your own shelter and make sure you don’t make some of the most common DIY shelter mistakes.

I’ll be back tomorrow with tips on how to simplify your financial crisis preparation.

All the best,

Owen Sullivan
Editor, Money & Crisis

By Jason Hanson

 Growing up in the Washington, D.C., area, I remember taking trips to West Virginia for long weekends with my family. The Greenbrier is a popular, well-known resort in West Virginia, located a few hours from D.C.

My family never stayed there, but this luxury resort in the Allegheny Mountains is a National Historic Landmark. U.S. presidents and dignitaries from other nations regularly visit this world-class destination.

Even if you’ve heard of “America’s Resort,” you might not know that beneath the property lies a U.S. government bunker built in the 1950s in response to President Eisenhower’s concerns about how our nation would be governed in the event of nuclear war. The bunker was classified until 1992, when it was decommissioned after The Washington Post ran an article revealing its existence.

At approximately 112,000 square feet, the bunker was code named “Project Greek Island.” The walls are made of reinforced concrete 3–5 inches thick, and the bunker is outfitted with steel blast doors — each one weighing over 18 tons.

The bunker was designed to hold roughly 1,100 people, including all members of Congress and about 500 staff. It contains its own power plant with backup generators and three 25,000-gallon water tanks. The facility also includes a dormitory, hospital, cafeteria and communications center. For over 30 years, the bunker was kept stocked with six months’ worth of supplies in case of an attack.

Luckily, our leaders have never had to retreat to the bunker. In fact, it’s never been used as an emergency shelter — even during the Cuban missile crisis. These days, “the Bunker,” as it’s now known, has been renovated and is currently being used as a data storage facility.

Obviously, none of us has the resources or money to build anything remotely comparable to the bunker at the Greenbrier. But I bet many of you have considered building some type of shelter to keep your family safe in an emergency. And while this may seem like a lot of work, it’s actually not as difficult to build a bunker as most people think.

Some Assembly Required

If this is a project you’ve considered, the first thing you’ll need to decide is what materials you want to use. There are a variety of options. For example, you could buy a shipping container and build it into a mountainside, or you could build a cement bunker under your home.

Of course, each option has its pros and cons, so take the time to evaluate what would work best for you. Do you own a remote piece of land where you could bury a shipping container? Or do you want to build a shelter close to your home so you can use the same power and water sources?

Once you’ve made your decision, here are a few critical things to take into account before placing your trust in your new shelter:

Power: How you plan to power to your shelter is going to be your first big decision. Some options include batteries, solar panels and generators. When it comes to batteries, I recommend choosing a quality gel-cell battery, which requires no maintenance and lasts longer.

Solar panels are another great option, but they can be affected by natural disasters. If you go the solar route, remember to have a battery backup. If you decide a generator is the best choice, I suggest getting a propane generator. Propane, unlike gasoline, can be stored indefinitely.

Water: The simplest approach is to have a large storage tank, but you’ll need to filter the water or replace the tank regularly to keep it fresh.

When it comes to sewage, the best option is a septic tank of some sort. You can find small, affordable tanks that all your water can drain into.

Air: Underground bunkers don’t have much air flow, so you’ll need a system that both removes stale air and filters incoming air. Failing to set up a good ventilation system can have deadly consequences.

Food: Let’s say you have to get to your bunker in a hurry. You aren’t going to have time to grab all the food items you’ve stored in your home. So regardless of whether your bunker is near your home or in a remote location, you need to keep it stocked with high-calorie foods with long shelf lives (such as canned goods). And remember to rotate the food regularly.

Protection: If things are bad enough that you’ve retreated to your shelter, you will probably need a way to protect yourself, so be sure to stock guns and plenty of extra ammo. Consider adding cameras to the exterior of your shelter to monitor for threats. Your bunker should also have a second entrance or a way to escape if someone forces their way in. Otherwise, you’ll be a sitting duck.

Keeping in mind the general points above and you can make adjustments based on your family’s needs.

Stay safe,

Jason Hanson

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