MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY TORNADO PREPAREDNESS PLAN

Definitions:                

Tornado watch -  Weather conditions are ripe to produce these storms. You should be alert to changing weather conditions and a “tornado warning: being announced.                                 
Tornado warning – A tornado has been sighted in the area. Prepare to take cover immediately.
Notification procedures:

In the event of a tornado watch students and employees will be notified by the following procedures:

1. A campus-wide red-flagged e-mail.

Public Safety will immediately send a red flagged e-mail out to the entire community alerting them of the watch and advising them of the protective measure to take if a warning is announced.

2. The On-Call Campus Life Staff will be notified and will instruct each RCA to advise floor members of the watch by door-to-door contact and posting flyers on the floor.      

3. The ARCC staff will alert people in the field house, swimming pool and other areas of the building.

4.The Athletic Department will alert any teams out on the athletic fields.

5. A campus-wide Telephone Alert System.

Public Safety, upon being alerted of a tornado watch will immediately call the Executive Officers, Communications, Physical Plant, Dean of Students, the Academic Dean, and the Director of the ARCC. Each of these offices will in turn initiate their own internal phone tree to alert other offices in their perspective areas.

Tornado Warning Procedures:

Flying debris and broken glass are the cause of most serious injuries and deaths from a tornado.

If a tornado warning is issued and you are in a building seek protective shelter away from windows, preferably on the lowest floor. Do not go outside. If outside, run to an interior room or the lowest hallway of the nearest building. Stay clear of all areas containing glass panes or windows. If outside and unable to find shelter get into a ditch or other low area and cover your head with your hands. If you are in a vehicle, get out and seek shelter.

1. Residence Halls -  Students should be advised to exit their rooms and go into the interior hallway. If time is available, students on the upper floors should move to a lower level hallway * Our dormitories are stone and should be able to withstand a tornado. The windows will be the danger.
2. Apartments – Occupants of the apartments need to move to an interior room away from the window as best as possible. If there is time, students in an upper apartment should move to an apartment on a lower level.*
3. Classroom – Students should be directed to go into an interior hallway on a lower level, away from the windows.
4. * Admin istration and general Use buildings – move to interior halls on the lowest level. *

Every March, prior to the beginning of tornado season, this plan should be updated and personnel reminded of the plan to follow. Faculty and Campus Life Staff should be made aware of instructions to give to students if a watch is announced. Our buildings are stone construction, the most danger will come from the glass windows

* The majority of our buildings do not have below ground floors. The few that do could not accommodate the number of occupants in the building.