DuPont has opened its first storm shelter testing center at is Chestnut Run site for testing different materials for its DuPont StormRoom with Kevlar. DuPont also will use the site to develop new technologies that will further help protect people and property during dangerous storms.

The DuPont StoreRoom with Kevlar can be installed in existing or new homes, above ground or in basements, and is transportable. It is designed to withstand the impact of a 2- by 4-foot timber propelled at 100 mph. The StormRoom also is crush-resistant and engineered to support a uniformly distributed weight of more than 70,000 pounds.

DuPont estimates that 90% of its storm shelters are in use in rural and suburban communities, with 10% installed in cities. Initially, sales for the StormRoom with Kevlar were focused on Tornado Alley, the eight states where most tornadoes strike during the year. DuPont has found, however, that many other parts of the United States — including coastal areas where hurricanes and other wind-based storms can wreak havoc — need the safety provided by StormRoom.