Today, the threat that has caught the attention of many Americans is Mother Nature herself. 2010 and 2011 may go down as two of the most destructive years in the recent history: The Haiti earthquake; the Icelandic volcanoes; the Japan earthquake and tsunami; flooding along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers; wildfires raging in Texas. And, a deadly string of tornadoes in Alabama and Missouri that struck in spring 2011. These catastrophes were a grim reminder to education institutions that tornadoes are a continual threat and need to be addressed in building design. In this article, the authors discuss how recent tornadoes and other natural disasters are prompting schools to incorporate storm shelters into their designs.