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Last modified: Monday, March 25, 2013

Media Advisory: IU campuses will participate in statewide tornado drill Wednesday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2013

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University campuses will participate in a statewide tornado drill Wednesday, March 27, as part of Indiana's Severe Weather Awareness Week, March 24 to 30.

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Each campus will activate a tornado warning drill using IU-Notify, the university's emergency notification system, between 10 and 10:30 a.m. (EDT) for the first test and between 7:15 and 7:45 p.m. for the second, both coinciding with the statewide drill. IU Northwest in Gary is in the Central Time Zone, so on that campus the drills will occur between 9 and 9:30 a.m. and between 6:15 and 6:45 p.m.

In the event of real severe weather conditions Wednesday, the drill will be postponed until Thursday, March 28, at the same times.

Test messages will be sent to IU faculty, staff and students across the state via email, text message (SMS), social media and campus cable TV. Additionally, notifications will post to public digital displays and websites.

All members of the IU community are expected to follow tornado procedures as if this were a real tornado warning by seeking shelter when notification is received, whether that is via sirens or IU-Notify alerts. An all clear alert will be sent.

This test of IU-Notify is part of "Operation Stormy Weather," a university campaign to raise awareness of preparedness and safety procedures during severe weather season. Additionally, it serves to encourage IU faculty, staff and students to visit IU-Notify to review, verify, update and add contact information to ensure that they will receive IU-Notify messages in the event of an emergency. To do so, they should log in to OneStart to confirm that contact information submitted previously is still correct.

Tornado safety guidelines:

  • Know the location of your nearest shelter in advance.
  • If in the warning area, seek shelter immediately in the nearest designated tornado-safe place.
  • In university residence halls, follow building-specific tornado procedures posted on each floor.
  • If no specific procedures are listed for the building you are in, stay away from windows and exterior doors. Generally, go to basements, interior hallways on the lower floors and small interior rooms on the lower floors.
  • If in a vehicle, get out and seek shelter in a sturdy building. If a building is not available, lying flat in a depression such as a ditch or ravine offers some protection.
  • Report injuries and damage on campus to the IU Police Department at 911 (9-911 will also work from an on-campus phone). If you're off-campus, notify the IU Police Department on your campus. Also, notify your local Campus Facilities Services or Physical Plant Offices of damage and your departmental administrative office.

Additional information about "Operation Stormy Weather" is available through the IU News Room.