Interest Rising in Storm Shelters in Panhandle

Interest in tornado shelters appears to be rising in the Texas Panhandle, particularly as officials in Lubbock make a push to improve tornado awareness.

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports that the effort continues to find out how many area residents have access to a shelter and how many shelters are being built.

But the president of one Amarillo concrete company says calls for new shelters have been pouring in. And a Lubbock homebuilder says he’s seen strong interest from buyers of new homes in having a shelter or a basement.

Recent deadly tornadoes this year in North Texas and Moore, Okla., have heightened attention paid to storm shelters. But Lubbock Mayor Glen Robertson says making them a requirement could drive up costs and price out some residents.