The argument against "community shelters" in Wichita is that large enough shelters in many areas would need parking places for people who came to them, and traffic congestion would expose more people who "didn't get there yet" to more risk than just sittin' tight where they were.

Most "core area" buildings are substantial enough that people can find fairly safe places in them, and the City Council and County Commissioners assume that "everybody has a basement" 'cause they all do.

A "tornado shelter" big enough for a typical family (4 to 6 people?), built to recommended specifications, would easily cost 20% of what many individual houses in my neighborhood are worth (not including the building permits - if your lot's big enough to get one). That's a pretty big bite for an individual when you still haven't fixed the roof damage from the last little hail storm.

John