Severe Weather

Oklahoma weather can be unpredictable. You need to be aware of your surroundings and the weather conditions at all times. Most importantly, you are responsible for finding a safe place to shelter during the storm.

 

Also visit OSU Weather Safety for more information about severe stroms, tornadoes, cold weather events and earthquake safety.

 

What to do during a severe-weather event

• First, be prepared
  • Listen to local radio. KOSU-FM (91.7 MHz), KSPI-FM (93.7 MHz), KVRO-FM (98.1 MHz) or KGFY-FM (105.5 MHz) for storm details.
  • Watch local television stations.
  • Use a weather app for the more current weather reports for Stillwater.
  • Make sure your phone is charged.
• What to know about Outdoor Warning Sirens
  • The City of Stillwater tests the outdoor warning sirens on the first Tuesday of every month at 11:30 a.m. If the weather is stormy that day, they will not test the sirens. Outdoor warning sirens are intended to alert people outside to take cover from the storm. For alerts indoors, consider getting a NOAA Weather Radio. It is like a smoke detector for severe weather.
  • Campus tornado sirens will sound off in a three- to five-minute blast when there is a tornado warning. A second blast indicates a second or repeated warning.
  • Neither siren system uses an all-clear alert.
  • Lightning detectors are located on top of Iba Hall; Brumley, Demaree, Prosser, Stevens, West and Williams Neighborhoods; and university recreation play fields. The alarm sounds if lightning is detected within eight miles. Seek shelter then. If no strike occurs within eight miles for 30 minutes, an all-clear will sound. 
  • If you need assistance or accommodation, contact the OSU Police Department at  405-744-6523.
• When you first hear sirens…
  • If the sirens are sounding, it is too late to seek another shelter. Go to the lowest floor you can in the building you are currently in. Don't leave for another building.
  • Look for a room without windows or exterior walls.
  • Put as many walls between you and the outside as possible.
  • A good choice is a community lounge, community bathroom or a personal bathroom in the basement. Otherwise, find an interior room or hallway.
• Rooms to avoid when seeking shelter...
  • Avoid being in large, open areas with exterior windows, doors and walls.
• Once you find a room to shelter in…
  • Sit on the floor with your back to the wall or in the middle of the room.
  • Get under a sturdy piece of furniture, such as a table or desk.
  • If a storm strikes, put your head between your knees and cover the back of your head with your hands.

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Action plans depend on location 

• Traditional Halls (University Commons, Iba, Parker, Stout and Wentz)
  1. Do not stay in your room. Instead, move to the lowest level possible in the building.
  2. Find a windowless community lounge or bathroom and close the doors.
  3. If there is not enough room in the lounge, close the room doors and begin to line the interior hallways.
  4. Stay close to the walls furthest from the buildings’ exteriors.
  5. Crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down, and cover your head with a blanket or jacket.
• Suites and Deluxe Suites (Bennett, Booker-Stinchcomb, Patchin-Jones, The Villages, and Zink-Allen)
  1. Move to an interior hallway or as far as possible from windows.
  2. Make sure that all room doors are closed.
  3. If leaving your room is not possible, move into your unit’s bathroom.
  4. Take something to cover yourself with to serve as protection from shattered glass.
  5. Crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down, and cover your head with your hands.
• Apartments and Deluxe Apartments
  1. Do not leave your apartment. This is risky, as you expose yourself both to the dangerous weather and the possibility of not being able to get into a lower apartment.
  2. Once in an apartment, move into the bathroom, or space permitting, the interior room.
  3. Crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down, and cover your head with a blanket or jacket.
• If you are outside...
  1. Look for shelter in the closest building.
  2. If entering a building is not possible, look for a ditch or another low-lying area.
  3. Stay away from anything that may fall and cause harm, for example, trees, power lines, and so forth.