American families are buying up $50,000 in nuclear bunkers amid growing tensions between the US and Russia that could spark WWIII.
An installer of these shelters told DailyMail.com that ‘this last year in particular has definitely been busier than any other year.’
Todd Stump, owner of Ohio-based USA Bunker Company, has sold hundreds of bunkers from as far east as Pennsylvania to as far west as California.
The move-in-ready and luxury bunkers include home comforts, such as kitchens and bedrooms, and some even have artificial windows that give the feeling that you are above ground.
The prefabricated bunkers are made with quarter-inch steel plates, while custom shelters are designed with reinforced concrete and heavy insulated walls, ranging from eight feet by 20 feet to 1,000 square feet or more.
The bunkers are built to survive anything from ‘severe weather or any kind of man-made disaster, all the way up to nuclear warfare, terrorist attacks, chemical or biological attacks’, Stump said.
‘A lot of people are concerned s with the way things are going in the world, and they just want that peace of mind of knowing if something does happen, that they have an option so they no longer have to worry about anything,’ he added.
America is the home of the ‘prepper’ community – with the number of people who are part of this survivalist movement doubling to 20 million since 2017, according to recent research.
Stump oversees everything from shipping to permits to installation (USA Bunker Company)
Demand for bunkers has soared since the COVID pandemic (USA Bunker Company)
While most focus on stocking up their homes or reinforcing their basements, those with disposable wealth turn to investing in bunkers, often in old military facilities.
However, Stump has designed his shelters for the middle class as they also need protection during a nuclear attack on US soil.
He has been building bunkers since 2012 and said he noticed demand started soaring after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Momentum has kept building amid global tensions and the Ukraine war.
He said that people’s demands are often similar: ‘They want to be able to filter out any chemical, biological or radiation particles from the air, and something that’s safe from people being able to break into. They want those specific protections.
Some clients hope to spend up to several months underground in the event of a disaster.
‘They want to be able to spend days, weeks, even months inside the shelter, and have all the amenities of home, and things to keep you safe and alive,’ Stump said.
Stump said that his company handles everything from building permits to shipping and installation for his clients, with him personally visiting sites to ensure everything is planned correctly and goes smoothly.
Many families want home comforts even after the apocalypse begins (USA Bunker Company)
Blast-proof doors help families to anticipate the worst (USA Bunker Company(
Basic installations start at $50,000 but custom models can be up to $500,000 (USA Bunker Company)
He started the company after he decided to buy his own bunker and found that the two or three other U.S. bunker companies didn’t match up to his expectations.
‘It led me down a rabbit hole of underground bunkers,’ he said, ‘No companies out there had any kind of experience in emergency preparedness, emergency disaster, you know, security or dealing with threats,’ Stump said.
‘I decided I’m just going to start my own company and build mine, because I don’t want to put my safety in their hands when they have no experience in it.
‘With me, coming from five years in the military, with combat experience, and 15 years in law enforcement.’
With demand soaring, Stump says that he’s focused on a new luxury market going into next year, with premium concrete bunkers, built to order.
Stump says, ‘We’ve got quite a few contracts, that we’re going to be starting in spring of 2025. A whole other style of bunkers and luxury in the $500,000 range.’
