Want a tornado-safe room? Michigan will pay you to install one

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Photo credit via Michigan Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division.

(FOX 2) - Tornadoes, thunderstorms, wicked wind, and other damaging weather are increasingly visiting Michigan throughout the year.

With the threat not going away anytime soon, homeowners may consider adding safe rooms to their residence as a means of avoiding the worst that bad weather can bring.

That doesn't mean homeowners have to shoulder the burden of the cost alone.

Big picture view:

A federal program is set up to help reimburse eligible homeowners for a majority of the cost of building a safe room in their house.

Applications are now open for the Safe Home Rebate Program, which includes a random selection process among those who plan to install a FEMA-compliant room.

Safe Room Installation

The Michigan Safe Room Rebate Program receives funding through a federal grant program.

The program will pay 75% of the safe room construction and installation. The homeowner will pay the rest of the bill.

The maximum the rebate will cover is $7,131.75 and will be reimbursed after the project is complete.

In addition to being compliant with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, homeowners who are selected for the program must attend a "safe Room Briefing" to be eligible. If they miss the meeting, they cannot receive the rebate.

Dig deeper:

The application link can be found here.

The applications will be sorted by county location depending on the risk categories defined by FEMA. Only 50 homeowners will be selected.

A full breakdown of what counts as eligible and ineligible can be found here.

Extreme Weather in Michigan

Michigan has already fought bad weather this year, including multiple spells of tornadoes in Southwest Michigan and severe flooding up north, in addition to the thunderstorms that can rapidly appear.

FOX 2's Derek Kevra tracked down data that when it comes to tornadoes, they are growing in frequency.  The reason for this is not entirely clear, but the early months are where it's happening the most.

For an additional info, check out his explanation below.

Tornadoes, Oakland County's new park, and coyotes | Brother Nature

Ever notice that tornadoes are touching down more in Michigan? Your imagination is not lying to you. The chaotic weather in spring and autumn is to blame with more arriving every year. FOX 2's Derek Kevra breaks down the science of tornadoes. Also on Brother Nature, Oakland County's new park Clinton River Oaks, as well as the updating management of coyotes in the state.