Kentucky state lawmakers are responding to dangerous tornado outbreaks that have hit Kentucky in recent years.

Senate Bill 11 was signed into law in March.

It establishes a safe room rebate program for homeowners.

Our Laura Rogers spent some time with a Barren County couple currently installing a safe room.

After surviving our tornado just one year ago.

Out of that roof.

When Clay and Maria Lancaster know how to prepare for a storm with generators, lightning rods and emergency supplies.

That extra light.

It comes with experience.

People always talk about it being like a freight train.

I mean, it was just a big row or like.

That one year ago in the early morning hours of April 3rd, 2025 and EF2 tornado hit the Lancaster's Barron County property.

As soon as we got the official alert on the weather radio that there was a tornado warning and we were to take shelter.

I said, we don't need Dwight.

We need to go now.

And Maria took cover here inside a fiberglass storm shelter installed in 2004, buried 12ft underground.

You could hear the the wind getting stronger.

You could hear things hitting on top of the the shelter.

Once the storm passed, they emerged from underground to take in the damage.

We had a metal carport up on one end and we said, oh, the.

Carport.

The National Weather Service says winds reached 120mph, destroying an Airbnb bungalow on the Lancaster's property along with damage to their home.

We were trying to find buckets and towels as the early morning hours came in.

That's when we saw the rest of the devastation.

It's been a year of recovery and rebuilding, including this new addition to their house, a basement with a safe room that arrived just last week.

That way we don't have to go outside.

We can get to it quickly.

Some people have them in their garages, but this seemed like a good deal for us.

So underground and as secure.

As Kentucky increasingly weathers severe storms and tornadoes.

State lawmakers hope to incentivize more homeowners to install residential safe rooms.

With the passage of Senate Bill 11 offering up to $5,000 in rebate.

When they came and brought this in, that was our first experience of seeing an actual safe room.

I think it's a great idea because everybody needs a safe spot to go.

Even our neighbors next door, you know, it took a while for how a roof or a little girl was in her back and I broke her arm.

So that's very important.

I need safe places to go.

The Lancaster say neighbors are welcome to take shelter with them in future storms, along with their Airbnb guests.

Since we're out here in the country, we're not really close to a community tornado shelter, and so we felt like it was more important for us to be able to protect ourselves, whoever might be here with us.

The couple didn't qualify for FEMA assistance, but have relied on insurance claims and out-of-pocket expenses.

Money, they say, is worth it for preparedness and peace of mind.

I do have more anxiety since we have been through a tornado, and we know what the devastation can be like, so that does alleviate some of the anxiety.

It's worth the cost.

You know, you can't put a price on life.

And we thank Laura Rogers for that report.

State Senator Stephen Meredith of Litchfield sponsored Senate Bill 11.

Homeowners may receive a rebate covering half of the construction or installation costs up to $5,000 for safe rooms that meet FEMA guidelines.

It begins in January of 2027, led by the Kentucky Emergency Management.