Tornado Emergency Plan
The OBU Police Department and other campus personnel monitor conditions carefully to be prepared for severe weather. The University Police Department also monitors local law enforcement, Shawnee Emergency Management and local news stations. The UPD and all campus RA desks are equipped with weather radios that provide alerts for watches and warnings in the area.
The OBU Rapid Message System will be utilized in the event of a campus emergency, including safety and weather announcements. The OBU RMS is available to current students and employees. If your mobile phone number is in the Banner system, it will automatically be included in the RMS. If your mobile phone number has changed or is not in the system, please log in to RAVE and enter it into the system.
Response to tornado warnings while in student housing
In the event of threatening weather, students who are in university housing will be notified by the Residential Life staff who will direct all students to take cover any time there is a tornado warning in the vicinity. (You may also hear the facilities alarm system and/or the Shawnee tornado siren.) Move immediately into the designated areas of your residence hall indicated below. During severe weather, you should not be near any outside windows or doors if possible. The locations listed for these facilities are considered to be the safest location for that building. Please remain in these locations until the TORNADO WARNING is terminated. DO NOT LEAVE THE BUILDING or designated shelter area until instructed to do so by University Administration, University Police or Residential Life Staff.
| Building | Primary Location | Secondary Location |
|---|---|---|
| Agee Residence Center | Agee 1st Floor | Same as Primary |
| Art Building | Ford Hall Basement | 1st Floor Restrooms and Inner Hallway |
| Art Annex | Ford Hall Basement | 1st Floor West End of Building |
| Bailey Business Center | Mabee Learning Center Basement | 1st Floor Restrooms, Conference Room, Stairwells |
| Baseball Facility | Mabee Learning Center Basement | |
| Burns/Cobbs Apartments | Noble Complex – South Hallway and Film Room | 1st Floor Innermost Room or Restroom |
| Cargill Center | Cargill Basement | Same as Primary |
| East Devereaux Apartments | Noble Complex – South Hallway and Film Room | 1st Floor Innermost Room or Restroom |
| Facilities Management | RAWC – Locker Rooms on East Side | |
| Housing Rentals | RAWC – Locker Rooms on East Side | 1st Floor Innermost Room or Restroom |
| Football Facilities | RAWC – Locker Rooms on East Side | |
| Ford Hall | Ford Hall Basement | Same as Primary |
| Geiger Center | Mabee Learning Center Basement | GC 101 Office Suite, 1st Floor Restrooms |
| Howard Complex | Noble Complex – South Hallway & Film Room | 1st Floor Innermost Room or Hallway in Howard Res Center |
| Intramural Fields | RAWC – Locker Rooms on East Side | Same as Primary |
| Kerr Residence Hall | Kerr First Floor | Same as Primary |
| Mabee Learning Center | Mabee Learning Center Basement | Same as Primary |
| Marriage Family Therapy Clinic | RAWC – Locker Rooms on East Side | Innermost Room or Restrooms |
| Mathena Center | Track Annex Saferooms | Innermost Room or Restrooms |
| Millennium Park | Mabee Learning Center Basement | Same as Primary |
| Montgomery Hall | Mabee Learning Center Basement | 1st Floor Innermost Room or Restrooms |
| Noble Complex | Noble Complex – South Hallway and Film Room | Same as Primary |
| Owens Hall | Mabee Learning Center Basement | Same as Primary |
| Raley Chapel | Offline | Offline |
| Sarkeys Center | Mabee Learning Center Basement | |
| Science Annex | Ford Hall Basement | 1st Floor Innermost Room or Restrooms |
| Shawnee Hall | Offline | Offline |
| Soccer Complex | Mabee Learning Center Basement | Same as Primary |
| Softball Complex | Mabee Learning Center Basement | Same as Primary |
| Stavros Hall | Stavros Saferoom | Same as Primary |
| Stubblefield Chapel | Offline | Offline |
| Taylor Residence Center | Mabee Learning Center Basement | 1st Floor Innermost Room or Hallway |
| Tennis Courts | RAWC – Locker Rooms on East Side | Same as Primary |
| The Lodge | Lodge Saferooms | Same as Primary |
| Thurmond Hall | Mabee Learning Center Basement | 1st Floor North End Wind Tunnel |
| Track Complex | Track Annex Saferooms | Same as Primary |
| True Solutions | RAWC – Locker Rooms on East Side | Same as Primary |
| University Police | Thurmond Hall | Same as Primary |
| Village Apartments | Village Laundry Room Saferooms or Noble Complex South Hallway | Same as Primary |
| W.P. Wood Science Building | Mabee Learning Center Basement | 1st Floor Innermost Room or Restrooms |
| Recreation and Wellness Center (RAWC) | RAWC – Locker Rooms on East Side | Same as Primary |
| West Devereaux Apartments | Noble Complex – South Hallway and Film Room | 1st Floor Innermost Room or Restroom |
| West University Apartments | RAWC – Locker Rooms on East Side | 1st Floor Innermost Room or Restroom |
| WMU Residence Hall | WMU First Floor | Same as Primary |
If you cannot move to one of these primary areas, move to the lowest area of the building nearest you (or the one you are in) and seek shelter in an interior bathroom or other interior space without windows.
Residential Life Staff
Residential Life Staff will help direct students to shelters or will have a designee assigned in their absence to direct students.
Response to tornado warnings while in class or other activities outside of residence halls
If there is a tornado warning while students are in class and immediate cover is necessary, move immediately into the safest area of the building (lowest level of the building, in a closet or under stairs). During severe weather, you should not be near any outside windows or doors. If possible and safe to do so, faculty and staff should direct students to a building with a basement for shelter.
Storm shelters during business hours
In addition to the lowest levels of residence halls provided to residents of those buildings, it is the practice of the University to make the basement areas of Raley Chapel available to OBU students and employees during business hours when there is potentially bad weather.
Storm shelters after business hours
Any time after business hours when the National Weather Service places the Shawnee area under a Tornado Watch, University Police officers will open Raley Chapel north exterior doors for students and employees. Yarborough Auditorium in Raley Chapel will be opened as needed. Officers will notify Police Dispatch when the buildings have been opened for shelter purposes.