Trench Shelter

There are several variations possible for a trench shelter. The key it to have a smooth metal roof that winds will pass over, to be at or below the surface of the earth.

• The key to survival, both for folks and the mechanical equipment one hopes will not shatter, is to not have to move more than a few feet. Think of falling in gravity. In the air, you fall 200 feet and die. If you only fall 2 feet, you don't normally die. If one doesn't have far to roll or fall far when the jolt comes, rolls along the ground only 2 feet or so, then one only gets a bruise.

• As one must also deal with hurricane force winds, the best location is under the surface of the earth. Tornadoes pass over storm shelters, and people are advised to lay down in trenches for protection if caught out in the open when a tornado comes. Dig a wide trench, cover with a metal sheet for protection from firestorms and hail, and put earth over that so that there is no edge the winds can pick up. Use a mesh nets to secure the roof also, putting the mesh into sod roots on either side of the roof so that the root system helps hold the metal roof over the trench. One might have a big bracing object on the inside of the trench so that if anything collapses, the brace will hold the metal roof up. The trench should not be that deep, only just below the surface. The metal roof should be at the same level as the ground surface.

• One should have more than one entry/exit possibility, like the little rodents that burrow - they have alternative exits in case snakes come after them. One should be concerned about the oxygen supply holding up during a digging out process, should the exits be blocked. That is why lots of trapped miners die, they run out of oxygen. One could construct hatches in the metal roof, for an air supply or as an escape route. A few might get covered with debris, but not all. The hatches could be closed when there's danger, just as submarines close their hatches.

• The trench should be located where it can not easy fill with water. There may be torrential rains too, so drainage should be considered. Perhaps the trench could be placed on a slope, with a drain hole at the far end. These types of precautions have to be taken when constructing a trench shelter.