In Ohio, the most common types of extreme weather are severe thunderstorms, snowstorms, and tornado watches and warnings. There is no protocol for responding to and reporting severe thunderstorms and snowstorms unless there are utility outages (in which case, refer to the Utility Outage protocol) or damage to the facility. If there is damage to the facility, it should be documented with an Incident Report, a Service Request, and a CARE report if a student is impacted. Pro-Staff on call should be contacted if the damage is severe (i.e. broken window/glass, if there was an injury).
The following protocol dictates proper steps for tornado warnings and tornado sirens.
Tornado Warning
Tornado warnings indicate that it is likely that a tornado will touch down, but one has not touched down or has not touched down nearby.
Immediate Action: Inform residents that there is no true threat at that time, but to be conscious of any changes in case a siren sounds.
● If they choose to shelter, bathrooms and hallways with no windows are the safest spaces within their suites and apartments.
Tornado Siren
If a siren is sounding, there is a visible funnel cloud in the area that has or is about to touch down nearby. There is an immediate threat.
Immediate Action: Begin to move to safety. Knock on doors on your way down if possible to inform residents of the threat.
● Euclid 117- Shelter in the first floor hallway, NOT in the lounge. First floor residents should remain in their rooms to make space for other residents. Residents can also shelter in the first floor bathrooms near the lounge and in the short hallway by the mailboxes.The second floor hallways can also be used.
● Uptown- Shelter on either side of the second floor hallway, away from the exercise machines. Second floor residents should remain in their spaces to make room for other residents. The third floor hallways can also be used.
● In general, residents should be sheltering as close to ground level as possible while still staying away from glass and external doors.
Secondary Action: RAs should check in with Pro-Staff on call to confirm that they are sheltered/safe.