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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.

Designated Shelter Areas
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.

Pets

Pets, other than service animals, will not be allowed inside the shelters.