Campus Emergency Procedures - Severe Weather/Response
Thunderstorms can kill with lightning, flash floods, high winds, large hail and tornadoes. Tornadoes can be extremely destructive. The following tornado safety tips can help individuals protect themselves:
- Stay away from windows, doors, and outside walls. Protect your head.
- In homes and small buildings, go to the basement or to an interior part of the lowest level - closets, bathrooms, or interior halls. Get under something.
- In schools, nursing homes, hospitals, factories, and shopping centers, go to the pro-designated shelter areas. Interior hallways on the lowest floor are usually best.
- (Note: bulletin boards in each building at SDSM&T show the areas in each building that are considered safe.)
- In high-rise buildings, go to interior small rooms or hallways.
- In sheds or vehicles, leave and go to a substantial structure. If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine or culvert with your hands shielding your head.
- Individuals can listen to radio, television, or NOAA Weather Radio for the latest National Weather Service Bulletins. A “Tornado Watch” means that tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are possible. A “Tornado Warning” means that a tornado is detected. Take shelter immediately. Severe thunderstorms, hail, a loud roaring noise, and funnel clouds are signs that a tornado may be nearby. In the
Rapid City area, Civil Defense sirens will sound whenever there is a “Tornado Warning.”
- During lightning events, stay indoors or in vehicles. Poor exposure positions during lightning storms include: a) being in boats on an open lake, b) taking shelter under trees, c) swimming, and d) playing golf.
- All SDSM&T students and employees should familiarize themselves with the safe areas in the buildings they use. NOAA weather alert radios are on campus at
Surbeck
Center , Residence Hall directors, and the Physical Plant building.
- After hours, call Campus Safety at 6100.
- The information voice mail can be reached at extension 2210.
Contact: Environmental Health & Safety
This page has been visited 552 times since 08/28/2007
| http://www.hpcnet.org/epswr |
Last Modified: 08/28/2007 |
