Tornado safety in dorms: How to be prepared for this violent storm
By Dasia Robinson, Guest Writer
CHAPEL HILL— Before the Black Student Movement meeting began, 33 of 46 students who have lived in on-campus housing said they would not know the safety procedures if a tornado hit this campus.
Throughout elementary, middle and high school, students are required to do periodic drills to prepare them for potentially dangerous situations such as fires, hurricanes and tornadoes.
But some college students can feel unprepared to handle such dangerous situations.
“In high school, we had tornado drills where we would all go to the locker room, squat down as low to the ground as possible and cover our heads,” Samiyah Mughnee said. “But I wouldn’t know what to do if we ever had a tornado [at the university].”
Mughnee, 19, is a junior economics major from Charlotte who has lived in campus housing for two years. She now lives in Ram Village Apartments.
“I’m not sure what I would do if a tornado hit this campus,” Mughnee said. “Ever since I saw the movie ‘Twisters,’ I’ve always been really scared of them.”
Dan Hairfield has been community director for the Manning East community for three years. He oversees the residential education of 540 students.
“There is no direct education on this type of emergency because of its rarity,” Hairfield said. “If the conditions are right, there are emergency protocols that we follow.”
“If there are few people, the best place [to take cover] is the basement floor, away from door openings,” said Travis Melvin, a R.A. in Ram Village Apartments and a senior business consulting and economics double major.
“The problem with the old [method] of gathering in the hallways is the ends of the hallways have windows,” Melvin said. “UNC dorms are expected to withstand tornadoes.”
What to do indoors
To prepare for a tornado, students should prepare an emergency kit that includes water, non-perishable food items, a battery-powered radio, a flashlight and extra batteries, a first aid kit, prescription medications and glasses, extra cash and a whistle to signal for help, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Also, students should familiarize themselves with tornado-emergency protocols and stay informed about weather conditions.
To determine the current adverse weather status of the university, students can call the adverse weather and emergency phone line at (919) 843-1234.
“If there is a tornado, residents should go to a room with no windows, like the bathroom, and close the door,” said Camile Jones, a junior sociology major and an R.A. in Ram Village Apartments.
“If possible, get to the lowest point of the building such as the basement,” the University’s Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) website says.
Students should “crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down; and cover [their] head with [their] hands,” the Storm Prediction Center suggests. “Even in an interior room, [students] should cover with some sort of thick padding like a mattress or a blanket, to protect against falling debris in case the roof and ceiling fail.”
What to do outdoors
For students traveling in a vehicle during a tornado, the EHS website advises that they do not try to “outrun the tornado. [Students should] exit the vehicle as soon as possible and seek shelter in the interior of a building.”
The EHS website advises students cannot make it to the inside of a building to “lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover [their] head with [their] hands.”
If students have questions as to where they should go in the event of a tornado, they can call EHS at (919) 962-5507.
Alert Carolina is “the go-to source for information in an immediate life-threatening or serious situation involving safety on the UNC campus,” according to the website.
“Alert Carolina alerts students about major catastrophes such as tornadoes,” Hairfield said.
Be aware
Alert Carolina uses sirens and text messages in a two-part system to notify students of danger.
Every year tornadoes are the cause of approximately 100 deaths in the U.S. Most injuries or deaths occur because people are unaware of the dangerous conditions, according to Tornado Project Online.
Tornadoes do not occur frequently in North Carolina, but they do occur.
From 1950 to 2005, 935 tornadoes occurred in North Carolina. More than 80 people were killed and more than 1,900 injuries were recorded, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 2007 Tornado Recovery Advisory.
Students should be up to date about weather conditions. If a tornado warning is issued, students should take cover immediately, the university website advises.
Although tornado safety procedures are not specifically taught by the university, students can find out good strategies with some research.
“I might run around like a crazy person because I just wouldn’t know what to do,” Mughnee, a resident of campus housing, said, chuckling. “It is important to always be prepared because anything could happen.”
Preparation for potentially dangerous situations is the best way to ensure the safety of people and their loved ones, especially on college campuses.
The official publication of the Black Student Movement at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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