Office of Public Safety - Tornado Safety

Tornado Safety

The Cameron Office of Public Safety is very concerned about the safety and well being of those associated with the university.

Tornadoes are a frequent occurrence in southwest Oklahoma and can happen at any time of year, although they typically occur in the spring and summer. We cannot overstate the importance of knowing how to respond correctly to a tornado warning.

To assist everyone in developing a tornado safety plan, you are being provided both general information on tornadoes and specific information on protective areas on Cameron's campus.

GENERAL INFORMATION

A tornado's path may vary from 100 yards to one mile in width. Its forward speed will average 25 to 40 miles per hour. The following instructions for different areas and situations should be studied:

If you are in the open:

Move at right angles to the tornado.
Attempt to reach shelter, such as a building with a basement.
If there is no time to escape or find shelter, lie flat in a ditch or depression, avoiding areas subject to rapid water accumulation or flooding in heavy rains.

If you are in class:

The instructor will advise you of the building's designated protective areas.

If you are attending a university function:

Participants will be advised of the building's designated protective areas.

TORNADO SIRENS

The City of Lawton maintains a Civil Defense warning siren network that is used to signal imminent danger from tornadoes. It is a familiar sound, as it is tested in Lawton every Monday at noon when the weather is clear.

A steady siren for three to five minutes means IMMINENT DANGER. Take shelter immediately in a designated protective area. Once the siren sounds, it is too late to seek shelter in a remote location.

An "all clear" signal will not be given via the siren system. This and other forecast information can be obtained from broadcast media. An "all clear" signal will usually be given over local radio and TV stations after the danger has passed. KCCU-FM (89.3) and other area stations may also be used for weather advisories or updates.

PROTECTIVE AREAS

CU Physical Facilities has identified suitable protective areas within each university building. To protect persons using these spaces against airborne debris, all doors should be closed while in use.

BUILDING	GO TO
Academic Commons (former Student Union)	South classrooms, restrooms, fraternity & sorority rooms 102, 103, 105 & 106.
Administration	Basement corridor & offices.
Animal Science	Men's & women's bathrooms.
Art Building	Interior hallway, restrooms & storage/work rooms. Rooms 111, 112, 116, 119, 120 & 121.
Burch Hall	Basement offices, classrooms, storerooms & basement corridor.
Business Building	Interior offices and conference rooms without windows. Women's Restrooms, No. 108 & 115. Men's Restrooms, No. 109 & 114.
Cameron Exchange (former Student Activities Building)	Men's & women's restrooms.
Cameron Village	See below
McMahon Center	South Corridor - behind closed corridor's doors Women's Restroom, No. 106 Men's Restroom, No. 107
Suites A-B	1st Floor - East and West Corridors - behind closed corridor's doors
Suites C-D	1st Floor - East and West Corridors - behind closed corridor's doors
Suites E-F	1st Floor - North and South Corridors - behind closed corridor's doors
Carpentry Shop	Equipment storage rooms.
CETES	Women's Restroom, No. 114 Men's Restroom, No. 116
CETES Conference Center	Conference Room B and Emergency Operation Center.
Conwill Hall	Storage rooms 102A, 107B & office 100B.
Early Learning Center	Storage room, locker room & restroom.
Communication	Interior corridor, offices & Room 115.
Custodian/Mail Warehouse	Transportation storage/parts room.
Engineering Shop/ Agriculture Classroom	Storage room & shop area.
Farmhouse - Trailer	Low-lying area outside.
Gymnasium	Lower dressing rooms on north and south sides away from windows.
Fitness Center	Restrooms & dressing rooms.
Grounds Shop	Equipment & storage rooms.
Haggar Hall	Interior corridor, practice rooms & restrooms.
Howell Hall	First floor restrooms, reception area of Room 104 & Rooms 110 and 113.
Library	Lounge, vault, storage rooms, first floor restrooms & mechanical rooms
McMahon Centennial Complex	First floor northeast (loading dock) corridor, first floor restrooms 103 (women) and 104 (men).
Music	Restrooms, Rooms 139, 140 & 141, offices 111 & 113 and storage Rooms 118, 119 & 126.
Nance-Boyer Hall Center Section	Basement mechanical room & offices 1053, 1054, & 1062.
Nance-Boyer Hall North Section	First floor restrooms (not in lobby) & interior core offices.
Nance-Boyer Hall South Section	Second floor restrooms (not in lobby) & interior core offices 1078, 1078A & 1078K.
Physical Facilities	Carpenter shop equipment storage.
Plant Science	Men's & women's restrooms.
Sciences Complex	Interior corridor of west wing, first floor restrooms, offices 137, 138A, 138B, 139, 139C, 140 & 140B. Workroom 139A.
Shepler Center First Floor & Mezzanine	Basement. Go through kitchen to go to basement.
North Shepler-2nd -10th floors	Restrooms & lounge/conference rooms.
South Shepler-2nd-10th floors	Restrooms & lounge/conference rooms.
Theatre	First floor restrooms basement & storage area.
Transportation	Parts storage room.

WEATHER TERMS

The National Weather Service, media and public safety agencies use standardized terminology when referring to severe weather conditions; terms most frequently used are listed and defined below:

Severe Thunderstorms Wind gusts of 50 knots (58 mph) or greater and/or hail three-quarters of an inch in diameter or larger

Damaging Winds Sustained or gusty surface winds of 60 mph or greater.

Tornado A violent local storm of short duration with very high-speed winds rotating about a vortex with a funnel extending from the base of the cloud to the ground.

Funnel Cloud A tornadic-type funnel extending downward from the clouds, but NOT touching the ground.

Tornado or Severe Thunderstorm WATCH Issued by the National Weather Service as a precautionary alert when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes or severe thunderstorms in the specific area.

Tornado or Severe Thunderstorm WARNING Issued when a tornado or severe thunderstorm has been sighted visually or detected by radar. The location and direction of movement, if known, are given and residents of the specific WARNING area should take immediate safety precautions.

Questions regarding Cameron University's Tornado Safety Information should be directed to the Office of Public Safety by email or at ext. 2237.

Cameron University wishes to acknowledge and thank the University of Oklahoma Police Department for information it made available in preparing this web page.

OU Police Department Tornado Safety Site