Severe Weather Safety

You are responsible for ﬁnding shelter in the event of a tornado. If you are on campus during a tornado warning, seek refuge in a basement or first-floor interior room with no windows.

Rooms at OSU-Tulsa that fit these criteria include:

Main Hall: 1100 wing, 1300 wing or 1400 wing restrooms (lower level).
North Hall: Conference Center (includes the B.S. Roberts Room and North Hall 153, 155 and 156).
Auditorium: Restrooms in the auditorium lobby or the Conference Center in North Hall.
Stanley E. White Hall: First floor restrooms and other rooms away from windows.
Pete and Pat Bartlet Tulsa Room: Interior restrooms.
Helmerich Research Center: First floor interior restrooms adjacent to the atrium.

In the event of a tornado warning...

Shut off equipment that might be affected by a temporary loss of electricity.
Close hallway doors as you leave to shield the corridors from ﬂying debris.
Stay away from windows.
Use telephones for emergency calls only.
Stay calm and alert.
If local radio is available, keep tuned to KWGS 89.5 FM, KRMG 102.3 FM or 740 AM, KJSR 103.3, KVOO 98.5 FM or KFAQ 1170 AM for storm details.
If local television is available, keep tuned into KJRH Channel 2, KTOV Channel 6, KTUL Channel 8 or KOKI Channel 23.
Dial 911 to report injuries and emergencies caused by the storm.
Call the OSU in Tulsa Facilities Management via the OSU-CHS Help Desk (918-591-1800) to report all damage.
There will not be an all clear signal from the alert sirens. Additional blasts indicate a new or renewed alert.
Report locations of trapped persons, making note of persons with injuries and/or disabilities.

Tornado Safety Tips

In the event of tornadoes, basements generally offer the best protection. Otherwise go into an interior room (bathroom/shower) or hallway on the lowest floor possible.
Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside when possible.
Get under a piece of sturdy furniture, such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
Avoid large open rooms, if possible.
Crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down; and cover your head with your hands.
Even in an interior room, you should cover yourself with some sort of thick padding (mattress, blankets, etc.), to protect against falling debris and flying objects in case the roof and ceiling fail.
Faculty, staff, and/or students should remain at your chosen "Safe Area" location until advised that it is safe to return to your regular work or study area or to leave the building until the tornado or severe weather has passed.

If you are caught outdoors and cannot quickly walk to a shelter:

Immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt and try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter.
If flying debris occurs while you are driving, pull over and park. Now you have the following options as a last resort:
- Stay in the car with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows, covering with your hands and a blanket if possible.
- If you can safely get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, exit your car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands.
Your choice should be driven by your specific circumstances.

Remember, there is no “all clear” siren activation. Weather, especially a severe storm, is unpredictable or the storm may have several lines of developing storms and as each approaching threat reaches the city, another siren notification may be sounded. Give serious consideration to using a portable battery operated radio tuned to a local broadcast station (KWGS 89.5 FM, KRMG 102.3 FM or 740 AM, KJSR 103.3, KVOO 98.5 FM or KFAQ 1170 AM) to provide you with local warning information and to let you know when the severe weather has passed.