Tornado and Severe Weather Shelters

Residential Areas

Residence Halls
Seek shelter in the lowest level (basement if available) of your building. Move to the most interior area possible, away from windows.

West Apartments
Seek shelter in the basement of your building. If you live in an apartment that is on an upper floor, get to the lowest level of the building that you can immediately. This could be may be a laundry room or a neighbor’s lower level apartment. Move to the most interior area possible, away from windows. If that is not available, then a closet, bathroom or interior hall without windows is the safest spot in your apartment during a tornado.

East Apartments
Seek shelter in the basement of the HAB. Please bring your ID card with you for building access at all hours. If you do not have time to seek shelter in the HAB, get to the lowest level of the building that you can immediately. This may be a neighbor’s lower level apartment. Move to the most interior area possible, away from windows. If that is not available then a closet, bathroom or interior hall without windows is the safest spot in your apartment during a tornado.

Houses 
Seek shelter in the basement of your house. Stay clear of entry ways, hallways, and glass.

College Avenue Apartments
Seek shelter in the basement of the building. Stay clear of entry ways, and glass. The laundry room or a bathroom in the lower level of these buildings will be the best location during a storm.

Centennial Townhomes
Seek shelter in the fortified area of the Idzerda Commons Building (in the area behind the double doors into the vending area). Please bring your ID card with you for building access at all hours. If you do not have time to seek shelter in the Idzerda Commons Building, get to the lowest level of the building that you can immediately. Move to the most interior area possible (such as a bathroom), away from windows.

Academic and Administrative Areas

Main Building
Occupants should proceed to the lower level of the building. Utilize space away from windows first. Sit on the floor with your back to the wall and cover your head with your arms and hands.  If you have a jacket or coat with you, place that over your head and face to protect you from flying debris.

Henrita Academic Building (HAB)
Occupants should proceed to lower levels of the building EXCEPT those areas directly under the glass link. 

Benedicta Arts Center
Building occupants should evacuate to the lower level of the building.  Occupants should congregate in the practice room areas first and then fill lower level areas as necessary. Interior hallways, green rooms, dressing rooms, lower level restrooms, the costume shop, and the dance studio would be appropriate areas to seek shelter.

Ardolf Science Center
If time permits, building occupants should be evacuated to the HAB lower level.  If this cannot be accomplished, all occupants should assemble in the lower level center hallway utilizing the class room and labs that have no windows or dangerous chemical issues. Available chemistry staff will evaluate possible lab use at the time of the shelter needs.

Clemens Library
Library staff have evaluated and marked shelter areas within the building. Building staff have accepted the responsibility to assemble building occupants in the designated shelter areas.

Richarda Hall
Occupants should congregate in the ground level hallway with the link access and the east access door closed.  All office doors should be closed to minimize exposure to flying glass and debris.

Haehn Campus Center, Murray Hall and Claire Lynch Gymnasium
Building occupants will be evacuated to the lower level of each area. Minimizing exposure to flying glass and debris  is the ultimate goal and all interior areas will be utilized for shelter; locker rooms, restrooms, meeting rooms, interior hallways and the  training room. AT NO TIME should building occupants be in the field house during severe weather and shelter alerts.  If time permits, the overhead doors should be closed to separate the fieldhouse from the rest of the HCC.

Gorecki Dining & Conference Center
Building occupants should evacuate to the lower levels of the building. Occupants should congregate in the kitchen, stairwells, and mechanical rooms (basement level) of this building as their primary shelter areas. Secondary areas of safety would include interior hallways, offices and restrooms that are away from large glass windows and large open spaces. Time permitting, additional shelter space would be available in the basements of nearby buildings (BAC, Lottie, Margretta, Brian).

Mary Commons
Occupants should proceed to the lowest level of the building, away from windows. Occupants should congregate in the lower level restrooms as their primary shelter area. If time permits, bookstore staff should secure the bookstore area before sheltering. 

Schoenecker Commons
Occupants should proceed to the lowest level of the building, away from windows.