PrePlan:
- Know that a CONTINUOUS alarm signals a tornado.
- Identify the appropriate place in your building to seek shelter should a tornado occur.
- Stay indoors, be alert to falling objects.
- Immediately walk to the designated tornado shelter area. The location of the shelter in each building on campus has been selected based on tornado safety criteria.
- Note: Individuals with disabilities may need assistance.
If you are in a building you are unfamiliar with:
- Go to the lowest level of the building, find an interior area (e.g., interior hall, closet, or bathroom). Seek refuge under a table or desk kneeling face down with your hands covering your head to reduce injury. If available, cover yourself with a coat or other such material.
- Avoid areas that have a large roof span that may collapse: auditoriums, gymnasiums, etc.
- Stay away from windows and glass, and unsecured objects such as filing cabinets or bookcases.
- DO NOT USE ELEVATORS.
If you are outside:
- Lie flat on the ground in a depression and cover the back of your head and neck with your hands.
- Do not seek cover in an automobile or under a tree.
If driving a vehicle:
- Get out and seek shelter in a building or low area; never try to outrun a tornado.
- Remain in the safe area until you receive an “all clear” message from YSU Police or their designees.
Departments employing individuals with physical disabilities (permanent or temporary) which might cause them to need assistance to a tornado shelter should establish a contingency plan for aiding those individuals in the event of severe weather. Ask for volunteers (at least three) to assist these individuals to the tornado shelter.
In the classroom, instructors should also develop a contingency plan for individuals with physical disabilities. At the first two meetings, instructors should announce that those who feel they may need help in getting to the tornado shelter in the event of severe weather should see the instructor privately to discuss a contingency plan. The contingency plan should consist of asking for student volunteers (at least three) to assist the individuals with disabilities to the tornado shelter. Volunteers should be selected as soon as an individual with physical disabilities is identified as being in the classroom.