Tornado awareness month

April is tornado awareness month. The University's outdoor warning sirens are tested on the first Friday of each month, at approximately noon. If threatening weather is in the area, the test will be canceled. A continuous siren blast sounds when a tornado warning is in effect. The siren will continue to sound until the danger has passed.

ONU’s Security Office offers these additional reminders:

Definitions of a Tornado Watch and Tornado Warning
 
Tornado Watch: Issued to alert people to the possibility of tornado development in your area.
Tornado Warning: Issued when a funnel cloud or a tornado has been sighted or indicated on weather radar.
 
*    All persons should remain inside a safe area until the warning is canceled. 
*    Stay away from glass windows and exterior doors. 
*    Any evacuation should be done in an orderly fashion and insofar as possible along the north side of the building to a safety area. 
*    Northeast stairwells should be used, if available, since tornadoes generally follow a southwest to northeast path. 
*    DO NOT USE ELEVATORS. 
*    Doors should be kept closed. 
*    Evacuate rooms that are on upper floors or that have an exterior wall above ground level. 
*    Floors below ground level, hallways, and rooms in the center of a building that are not on upper floors may be used as shelters. 
 
If you are outside and you hear the outdoor warning siren, seek inside shelter, preferable in a steel framed or concrete building. 
If you are inside a building, go to an interior hallway or other enclosed area, away from windows, and on the lowest floor of the building. Avoid auditoriums, gymnasiums, or other such rooms with wide-span roofs. In wooden buildings, such as houses, the least hazardous place is in the basement or under heavy furniture in the center of the building and away from windows.

Questions? Contact the Security Office at ext. 2222.