Tornado Safety a Concern at VCU
Students reminded of safety tips following recent Virginia tornadoes.
May 3, 2008
RICHMOND, Va. – Students at Virginia Commonwealth University have expressed concern and questions regarding tornado safety following the eight confirmed tornadoes that touched down in Virginia Monday.
One of these questions regards the idea that tornadoes don’t hit major cities, but according to John Bernier, Chief Meteorologist for WRIC-TV 8, they can and do.
“Traditionally, large cities generally don’t get hit, but Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Fort Worth, Salt Lake City have all been hit in the past 10 years,” Bernier said.
Bernier also says tornadoes have struck in Richmond as recently as 2004 when one touched down on the campus of the University of Richmond during Tropical Storm Gaston. Another tornado hit in 2003 following Hurricane Isabel.
In a September 2007 issue of The Commonwealth Times, Pamela Lepley, director of VCU University News Services, said VCU’s emergency notification systems including sirens, text messages, digital signs and e-mails would only be used in life-threatening situations that could affect either campus.
“It’s never going to be used for weather unless it’s a tornado,” Lepley said.
However, Joshua Barnhill, a VCU freshmen, says he’s had mixed experiences with VCU’s siren system during it’s monthly tests.
“If you are in the middle of the campus, they work amazing – very loud and they get your attention,” Barnhill said. “During the second siren test, I was a couple minutes walk from the campus and I failed to hear the sirens at all.”
Bernier says that’s why sometimes being alert when a tornado or severe thunderstorm watch is issued may be more valuable than waiting around for a warning.
“One of the big problems with warnings is the delay in getting them from the weather service to the public,” Bernier said. “Dissemination is a key issue and once the NWS (National Weather Service) hits ‘transmit’ on the warning, they are off the hook – they have done their job.”
VCU senior, Cindy Abernathy, says she knows what she’ll do if a tornado warning is issued for Richmond.
“I live in the Fan district and my apartment has a basement, so I would go there,” Abernathy said.
If a basement isn’t an option, Barnhill says he would move to a bottom floor of a building, sit down, cover up and wait it out.
Yet, freshmen Sidney Raskind says that if getting to the bottom floor of a building is not an option, VCU has made it possible for freshmen in high-rise dorms to stay safe as well.
“In the Brandt-Rhoads freshman dorms, there are designated safety zone signs, but only in the Brandt building,” Raskind said.
That’s why Bernier says tornado safety, and severe weather safety in general, is something everyone needs to be aware of.
“For students at VCU, they also need to learn the particular hazards that are possible in our area versus where they might be from,” Bernier said. “Students from Iowa know how to handle tornadoes very well, but don’t have experience with hurricanes and tropical storms, while one from California would know earthquakes and wildfires, but not other stuff that we see here.”
VCU students may sign up for text message alerts and see the latest advisories for the university at http://www.vcu.edu/alert/.
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Students reminded of safety tips following recent Virginia tornadoes.
May 3, 2008
RICHMOND, Va. – Students at Virginia Commonwealth University have expressed concern and questions regarding tornado safety following the eight confirmed tornadoes that touched down in Virginia Monday.
One of these questions regards the idea that tornadoes don’t hit major cities, but according to John Bernier, Chief Meteorologist for WRIC-TV 8, they can and do.
“Traditionally, large cities generally don’t get hit, but Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Fort Worth, Salt Lake City have all been hit in the past 10 years,” Bernier said.
Bernier also says tornadoes have struck in Richmond as recently as 2004 when one touched down on the campus of the University of Richmond during Tropical Storm Gaston. Another tornado hit in 2003 following Hurricane Isabel.
In a September 2007 issue of The Commonwealth Times, Pamela Lepley, director of VCU University News Services, said VCU’s emergency notification systems including sirens, text messages, digital signs and e-mails would only be used in life-threatening situations that could affect either campus.
“It’s never going to be used for weather unless it’s a tornado,” Lepley said.
However, Joshua Barnhill, a VCU freshmen, says he’s had mixed experiences with VCU’s siren system during it’s monthly tests.
“If you are in the middle of the campus, they work amazing – very loud and they get your attention,” Barnhill said. “During the second siren test, I was a couple minutes walk from the campus and I failed to hear the sirens at all.”
Bernier says that’s why sometimes being alert when a tornado or severe thunderstorm watch is issued may be more valuable than waiting around for a warning.
“One of the big problems with warnings is the delay in getting them from the weather service to the public,” Bernier said. “Dissemination is a key issue and once the NWS (National Weather Service) hits ‘transmit’ on the warning, they are off the hook – they have done their job.”
VCU senior, Cindy Abernathy, says she knows what she’ll do if a tornado warning is issued for Richmond.
“I live in the Fan district and my apartment has a basement, so I would go there,” Abernathy said.
If a basement isn’t an option, Barnhill says he would move to a bottom floor of a building, sit down, cover up and wait it out.
Yet, freshmen Sidney Raskind says that if getting to the bottom floor of a building is not an option, VCU has made it possible for freshmen in high-rise dorms to stay safe as well.
“In the Brandt-Rhoads freshman dorms, there are designated safety zone signs, but only in the Brandt building,” Raskind said.
That’s why Bernier says tornado safety, and severe weather safety in general, is something everyone needs to be aware of.
“For students at VCU, they also need to learn the particular hazards that are possible in our area versus where they might be from,” Bernier said. “Students from Iowa know how to handle tornadoes very well, but don’t have experience with hurricanes and tropical storms, while one from California would know earthquakes and wildfires, but not other stuff that we see here.”
VCU students may sign up for text message alerts and see the latest advisories for the university at http://www.vcu.edu/alert/.
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