When there is a disaster such as an earthquake or a hurricane, we often see the aftermath for days on the news. Rows of tarps and tents with disaster victims huddled for shelter. Sometimes these barely can withstand a strong breeze, much less a storm with any size to it. Iowa?s own Sukup Manufacturing is working to help these people out.
I had the chance to visit with Steve Sukup at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois. We talked inside one of their ?Safe T Homes? they had on display. The building is essentially a shorter, eighteen-foot grain bin constructed to accommodate people who have been displaced after disasters. Steve Sukup talks about the program.
Sukup says many of these homes have been placed in Haiti, where they have suffered damages from both hurricanes and quakes. There are shelters built around the world in places such as Africa.
These Safe T Homes offer a loft and sturdy structure to whether out inclement weather. They can accommodate eight to ten people. However, in some emergencies, they had almost 50 people riding out a storm. These structures have stood up to a category four hurricane and haven?t even flinched.
If you are like me and are thinking these metal structures must be hot and uncomfortable, you would be wrong. Even in the direct sunshine, the temperature inside the structure where Steve Sukup and I were visiting, was twelve degrees cooler than outside.
As a family-owned company, Sukup says they felt it was important to do all they could to help as many people as possible who are in need after a disaster. Engineering these structures was a way they could offer their services and talents to help.
To find out more about Sukup Safe T Homes, visit their website.
