Tornado

Definition:

“WATCH” Conditions are favorable for tornado or severe weather.
“WARNING” Tornado may be imminent. Take shelter. Weather reports should be monitored continuously.
Most tornadoes come from a southwest direction.

Signals:

1. Tornado watch and warnings will be monitored by a radio at the CAMPUS POLICE Department.
2. Under a “watch” the Library, Old Science for Public. All Dorms one and most buildings have shelters. List on following page.

Steps of Action:

In the event the sirens sound you should:

• Go to the lowest level inside wall and assume a kneeling position, head down, with hands covering heads.
• Students in unsafe locations at the time will go to assigned locations at the direction of the faculty.
• Faculty needs to close classroom doors.
• Faculty should keep their class rosters with them and remain with their classes to be sure students are following the Tornado Evacuation procedure and to verify student count.
• Wait for all clear signals before returning to classroom.
• Avoid all large clear-span buildings (gym, cafeteria, etc.) during a tornado.
• In an outside office, blinds are to be closed on windows and office personnel are to use telephones in an inner office.
• The radio should be located within hearing distance of office personnel if at all possible.

Designated Storm Shelter Areas

Printable Shelter Listing (PDF) 

Administration: east and west basement hallways
Art Building: lowest level away from windows
Assessment Center: basement
Athletic Director: interior hallway
Bookstore/Market: first floor then to storm shelter
Bulldog Apartments: Neff Hall Residence Life office area
Campbell: 1st floor interior hallway and offices on west side hallway
CEBD: exit to Campbell building 1st floor, central hallway, away from windows and doors
Conference Center: interior hallway
Chem/Pharm/Physics: south basement hallway/1st floor physics hallway, classrooms, offices
Education Building: central basement hallway and 1st floor hallway
Field House: north classroom and psychology hallway
Fine Arts: lobby stairwells/lobby instrument storage/entrance ramps to auditorium
Fitness Center: Neff Hall basement
Green House: Rogers and Jefferson storm shelter
Industrial Technology: basement labs and classrooms rock building
Library: basement auditorium, hallway and classrooms
Music Building: main hallway
Neff Hall: Neff Hall Residence Life hallway/boiler room hallway
Nursing: main hallway
Oklahoma Hall: music hallway/lobby tv area
Pharmacy II: basement hallway and classrooms
Physical Plant: file storage area northwest room
Print Shop: interior hallway
Psychology: main hallway
Rogers& Jefferson Hall: 1st floor then to storm shelter
Science Building: 1st floor hallway
Stafford: follow signs to basement shelter
Stewart Hall: main hallway central basement/nursing hallway
Student Development: basement area
Student Center: central basement hallway and storage area/commuter lounge hallway
Theatre Scene Shop: lowest level away from windows
Upward Bound: central hallway
Wellness Center: men’s or women’s locker room, interior hallway of student health services office area, or the 1st floor enclosed stairwells

Each building has two designated people who see that the storm shelter area for that building is unlocked and accessible for students and faculty in the building.

General public storm shelters: Science Building and Library Auditorium (west entrance)