SECTION 2:

DESIGNING YOUR SEVERE WEATHER EMERGENCY PLAN

A. How to Get Emergency Weather Information:

Because severe weather can occur with little, if any, warning, minutes and even seconds can mean lives saved. In just five minutes, a tornado may travel two to four miles on the ground. From the time the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a warning, to the time you receive that warning via radio or television, ten minutes may have elapsed. Also, you must be listening at the critical moment that the warning is announced or an even greater amount of time will pass!

- NOAA Weather Radio

The fastest, most accurate and reliable means of receiving critical weather information at your school is through a NOAA Weather Radio with a "tone alert" feature. Make sure your NOAA Weather Radio has a battery back-up. NOAA Weather Radio is operated directly from NWS offices and is part of our country's National Warning System. When the NWS issues a warning, a Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME) unit triggers a "tone alert" (1050 Hertz). This alert is immediately followed by warning information.

The NOAA Weather Radio "tone alert" feature is used for the issuance of all weather warnings as well as severe thunderstorm, flash flood, and tornado watches. A list of watch and warning definitions is provided in Appendix A. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the latest weather information from daily forecasts to special weather statements about sudden shifts in the weather patterns or the development of potentially hazardous weather. For more information on NOAA Weather Radio, including which transmitter is in your area, click here.

If your school is not in a reliable NOAA Weather Radio listening area (due to interference from mountains or other sources), then below are some suggested alternatives:

- The Weather Channel

If you have cable television access, The Weather Channel uses NWS products and broadcasts warnings immediately upon receipt from the NWS via a satellite link. They also display local radar pictures throughout the day.

- Primary Emergency Alert System (EAS) Station

Monitor your primary (EAS) radio station. EAS operates on a cooperative agreement between broadcasters and federal, state, and local government agencies. In central New Yorkand northeast Pennsylvania, most broadcasters activate EAS for tornado, severe thunderstorm, and flash flood warnings.

- Local or Cable Television

Monitor your local or cable television stations. Many television stations have access to NWS products and will immediately post (i.e., scroll) a watch or warning when it is issued.

Phone call-down systems used in some counties are not advised for receipt of warning information due to: 1) time elapsed in relaying information; 2) chance of incorrect or incomplete information being passed; 3) lack of reliability of phone systems during storms; and, 4) the NWS advises people not to use telephones during an electrical storm due to the lightning hazard.

Your radio or television should be located in the main office or near the person(s) responsible for enacting your the plan. Main offices are good because there are generally a number of people around who could hear the alert, and in an emergency, the public address (PA) system is usually close. If using a NOAA Weather Radio, the radio should be set at all times in "Alert" mode. Some radios will automatically turn on when an alert sounds, while others must be manually turned on. It is better to have the type that automatically turns on in case you are out of the room when the tone is activated. If using NOAA Weather Radio, the information cycles every few minutes, so if you don't hear all the information you need the first time through, it will repeat shortly.

Listen for the type of watch or warning and where it is in effect. The person(s) monitoring must know what action they should take based on this information. Have a map nearby for easy reference to counties and towns to locate storms and their movement in reference to your school. There is no need to take emergency action if the warning is not for your location. It should, however, heighten your awareness to the potential for severe weather in your school district, especially if the warning is for a county next to you and the storms are moving in your direction!

B. Getting the Message Out to Students and Staff

Most schools utilize a public address (PA) system to talk directly to students and teachers. In some cases, electricity may be lost during a storm before you have activated your plan. Therefore, it is critical to have a back-up alerting device such as a megaphone.

If your school has mobile classrooms or detached gymnasiums that are not part of a PA or intercom system, then special arrangements should be made to notify students and staff in these areas. Sending "runners" outside to mobile classrooms is not advisable due to the danger posed by lightning and the approaching storm. Wireless communication devices are an effective means for such communication. "Walkie-talkies" may be the least expensive.

Persons with disabilities may require special attention. You may want to assign a staff member to each person requiring special attention to see that the student moves to the appropriate place of safety. Students or staff that may not hear the warning must be taken into account.

To ensure appropriate action and understanding of your "call to action," you must exercise your plan.

C. Determining Severe Weather Safety Zones in Your School:

This may be the most time consuming and complex phase of designing your plan. Schools are sufficiently complex and diverse in design that it is impossible to describe an exact plan here that will apply to every school. Due to this complexity, it is recommended that this phase of the plan be accomplished with the help of an engineer or architect familiar with the school's design. There are, however, general guidelines and basic concepts that can be discussed.

The greatest dangers from high winds (e.g., tornado, thunderstorm downburst, etc.) are:

1) roof failure;

2) breaking glass; and,

3) flying debris (airborne missiles).

The most dangerous locations are generally large rooms with big expansive roofs such as cafeterias, gymnasiums, and auditoriums. The collapse of the room's load-bearing walls may lead to the failure of the entire roof. Roofs tend to rely on gravity to keep them attached. When strong winds act on a structure, pressure differences are created, causing outward pressure forces, acting to lift the roof (see diagram on page 9). Rooms with large windows that may shatter from being struck by airborne missiles or from pressure stresses are extremely dangerous. While windows on the side of the school facing the storm are most susceptible, as the storm passes, any window could potentially shatter. Once winds enter a building, additional damage can create a domino effect. This is one of the reasons that "IT IS NO LONGER ADVISED THAT WINDOWS BE OPENED!!! Greater damage may occur from this action and valuable time that should be used getting to safety is often lost."

Small interior rooms, bathrooms, and windowless, interior hallways that are away from exterior doors, offer the best protection. Interior load-bearing walls (with short roof spans) provide better protection than temporary or non-load-bearing walls and structures. If your school has more than one story, evacuate the upper level of your school. The lowest level is always the safest.




Schools designed for the "open classroom" concept often lack safe areas due to a lack of interior load-bearing walls, large spanning roofs, and the abundant use of glass. You may not be able to find enough "ideal" space to protect your students and staff. It may be a matter of determining the lesser of evils. Below is a list beginning with the lowest probability of failure:

1) Interior, lower level, load-bearing walls (i.e., interior bathrooms or closets);

2) Interior walls of upper level - exterior walls of lower level;

3) Exterior walls of upper level - roof;

4) Rooms with large roof spans - mobile classrooms; and,

5) Windows on exterior walls.

Fortunately, the majority of tornadoes will not destroy well constructed buildings and damage in about 70% of cases should not go beyond #2 listed above. With these considerations, you may want to rank areas according to safety. Then begin by filling the safest areas first with students and continue until you have found space for everyone.

Again, it is best to have an engineer or architect advise your school on the safest areas since schools are built with varied designs and purposes. The priorities listed above are based on broad generalities.

D. When to Activate Your Plan and When to Return to Normal Activities:

When activating a plan, you need as much information as possible about the type of storms, expected impact, and time of impact on your school district to assess the risk. A plan may work best with phases of activation. For instance, outdoor activities will be the most susceptible to weather hazards, with lightning being the greatest threat. As soon as thunder is heard, not when the rain begins, outdoor activities should be stopped. Outdoor activities should not be resumed until the storm has passed and thunder is no longer heard (about 5 to 10 minutes after thunder is last heard). For more information on lightning dangers and lightning safety, see Section 1.C and Appendix C.

Tornado or Severe Thunderstorm Watch

In a tornado or severe thunderstorm watch, outdoor activities may need to be postponed. As a storm approaches, you may want to move students from the most susceptible areas such as mobile classrooms and gymnasiums as a precaution, even though a warning has yet to be issued. You may want to post a school official trained in spotting severe weather to watch the storm as it approaches. This person can then advise when to take special actions. For severe weather spotter training, contact your closest NWS office or click here.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

If a severe thunderstorm warning is issued, all of the above actions are warranted. In addition to strong damaging winds, severe thunderstorms may contain large hail and students should be moved out of areas with skylights (Section 1.D). If you have areas where large exterior windows may be exposed to the storm's winds, keep students out of these areas until the storm passes .

Tornado Warning

When a tornado warning is issued and you have determined that your school is in the path of this storm, an "immediate and complete call to action" is needed. If the storm has not yet reached your school, begin moving students and staff from unsafe areas and post a trained teacher or school employee to keep an eye on the storm's approach. From your exercises, you should know approximately how long it will take to move students into "tornado safe areas". During the storm, ensure all students and staff are in designated areas. If winds begin to pick-up outside the school (or if a roar is heard or large hail is falling), have students and teachers drop immediately into the "tornado safe" position (see diagram). Winds may increase at the onset of the storm and may or may not drop off prior to the tornado. Rain may or may not be occurring. Large hail is a signal that you are near the part of the storm in which the tornado would most likely occur. Once the storm has passed, students may return to classrooms. Stay alert for the potential for additional storms.

One special consideration would be the complication of activating a full emergency plan during class changes, when the halls are crowded and students may not know where to go. It may be best to hold classes beyond regular dismissal time until the severe weather threat has passed. Likewise, at the end of the school day, students may need to be held from boarding buses until the danger has passed.

You should have at least a couple people who know how to shut off the main power (electricity) and gas (if applicable). After a tornado or severe thunderstorm, it may be necessary to shut off the gas and electric supply to the building.

E. Determining When to Delay Departure of Students:

You should consider holding the departure of students to buses whenever watches or warnings are in effect. There are two primary considerations:

1) Upon departure, determine the amount of time it will take students to get safely home. Include time for the students to walk from their bus stop to their home; and,

2) How much time do you have before the storms are expected to impact your district? Severe thunderstorm and tornado watches are often issued several hours in advance of thunderstorm development. Watches are generally issued for large areas, so it may be a couple of hours before the storms reach you. On the other hand, it may be a rapidly developing situation with less than an hour before the storms impact.

If there is a possibility that students will be traveling during the storm, delay their departure until after the storm has passed. Buses "do not provide protection" from severe storms, so you should provide adequate time for students to get home.

It is not advisable for parents to go to the school to pick up their children in severe weather. Children are far safer at the school with the severe weather plan in place than on the road when a storm strikes.

F. School Bus Driver Actions:

All school bus drivers should be trained on how to handle severe weather situations. Two primary concerns are flash floods and tornadoes. Additional thought should be given to high wind situations (thunderstorm or other), unexpected heavy snow or ice, and extreme heat or cold. Heavy snow and extreme cold are covered in Section 3. In most situations, these events are forecast in advance, but there are times when they may catch you by surprise.

1) TORNADOES -

NEVER ATTEMPT TO OUTRUN A TORNADO!!! If a bus driver has reason to believe a tornado is approaching, the following steps should be taken.

a) If you have the time to get to a well-constructed building where you can unload students, do so as quickly as possible. Move them into the interior or basement of the building away from windows and doors.

b) If no well-constructed building is available, highway underpasses can provide protection. Stop the bus just downwind from the underpass so that high winds do not blow the bus in your direction. Move the students up under the underpass structure. Have them get into the "tornado safe position" with their hands over their head (see diagram above).

c) If no building or underpass is available, look for a ditch or low-lying area (preferably without water). Make sure the bus is parked downwind from the location you have selected. Unload the students to the low-lying area and have them get into the "tornado safe position" with their hands over their head (see diagram above).

2) FLOODING -

NEVER ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOOD WATERS! If your bus route takes you across small streams and creeks or along a river, you need to have either an alternate route to travel or a contingency plan to return to the school, should flood waters be encountered. Major river flooding and coastal flooding generally are well forecast with warnings issued early enough that school officials can plan their strategy prior to placing the students on the bus. Flash flooding (a sudden and dramatic rise in water levels leading to flood conditions) does not lend much warning time (by definition). Drivers need to understand what to do and what not to do.

A shallow ponding of water on the roadway is usually not a problem, but as soon as the depth of the water comes into question, particularly in cases where the road may have been undermined, drivers should not enter. Do not enter underpasses that are filling with water. If the water appears to be flowing (moving across the road), do not enter the water. For more information on flood dangers and flood safety, reference Section 1.B and Appendix C.

Water levels can rise rapidly, and the force of that water against an automobile, even a bus, can be amazingly powerful. If the driver is caught in an unavoidable situation, seek higher ground immediately. If the bus stalls, and water is rising, abandon the bus and seek higher ground before the situation worsens.


3) EXPOSURE: TOO COLD OR TOO HOT -

Children awaiting the school bus in the morning, standing exposed to a cold wind without proper clothing for protection, may develop hypothermia and/or frostbite. School bus drivers as well as teachers should be taught to recognize symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite, described in Appendix C.

On hot, humid days, some children may have difficulty handling the heat. They may be boarding the bus from an athletic event or coming from a hot classroom. A child may be dehydrated and starting to show signs of heat exhaustion. Drivers should be taught to recognize symptoms of heat stress (Appendix C).

G. Special Considerations for Excessive Cold:

Like humidity to heat, wind adds to the effects of cold. A "wind chill chart" is used to show these combined effects. The National Weather Service will issue a wind chill advisory (potentially dangerous if proper precautions are not observed) for "wind chills" of -15 and below and a wind chill warning (unusual and significant danger) for "wind chills" of -25 and below. The wind chill is meant as a precautionary guide as to how warmly you need to dress when going outside. The goal of this precaution is to prevent frostbite and hypothermia. Wearing proper layered clothing including hat's, boots, and mittens can reduce the risk substantially even at very cold wind chills. During cold wind chill days, it is not advisable to wait for the Advisory and Warning levels before employing safety precautions such as opting to keep children indoors during the school day. If children are taken outdoors, even for short periods, they should be closely monitored by adults trained to recognize early signs of frostnip, frostbite, or hypothermia. If children develop symptoms, they should be properly treated and all children brought indoors immediately. Additional information on the effects of windchill and biological responses to cold can be found at Princeton University.

H. Special Considerations for Excessive Heat:

While most heat waves hit when school is not in session, temperatures can occasionally soar into the 90s in May, June, and September. Like wind to cold, humidity adds to the effects of heat. A "heat index" is used to combine these effects (Appendix D). The National Weather Service will issue a heat advisory when the "heat index" is expected to reach 105 F and an excessive heat warning when it is expected to reach or exceed 120 F. At temperatures of 105 F and greater, heat disorders such as cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke are possible. Students should be kept out of the sun and strenuous activities should be eliminated. Encourage students to drink plenty of water and wear light-colored, light-weight clothing. School staff should familiarize themselves with the symptoms of heat disorders and first aid procedures (Appendix C).

I. Need for Periodic Exercises and Severe Weather Safety Instruction:

In order to have an effective severe weather emergency plan, you must have periodic severe weather exercises and severe weather safety training. Exercises not only teach students and school personnel the actions they need to take, they allow you to evaluate your plan's effectiveness. Did everyone hear the message? Did they understand what to do? Were they able to get to the designated areas of safety in a reasonable amount of time? It is suggested that you conduct such exercises in conjunction with a severe weather education and awareness program, so that students and teachers understand the dangers of severe weather and better comprehend the actions that they are asked to take.

The New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO), and the Pensylvannia Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) in conjunction with the NWS, hold statewide "Weather Emergency Preparedness" campaigns each spring. This campaign educates the public about tornado and flood safety. State and county emergency management agencies, the NWS, and the news media participate in this campaign. This may be an opportune time for your school to conduct an exercise and program. You may contact your local NWS office or emergency management office if you would like a speaker to come to your school and discuss severe weather safety.

It is also suggested that your school conduct an exercise each September. This will instruct new students on procedures and act as a refresher for returning students. While severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are often perceived as an uniquely "springtime" event, outbreaks of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in October and November are not uncommon.