Tornado Procedures
Tornados and severe thunderstorms are often a threat in Middle Tennessee. Cumberland University makes every effort to provide information so all employees and students can be ready in the event of a tornado alert. Please review these guidelines regularly during the tornado season.
The city of Lebanon and Wilson County are prepared to warn the populace of impending adverse weather conditions. The city of Lebanon has several strategically positioned sirens which will be sounded if atmospheric conditions indicate concern. The siren can be heard clearly outdoors on the University’s campus.
If you are outside and you hear the warning siren, seek inside shelter, preferable in a steel framed or concrete building or in a building that appears to be sturdily constructed. Once inside a building, stay away from all windows and move to the lowest floor. The safest area in each building has been marked with a tornado sign.
If you are inside a building, the safest area in each campus building has been marked with a yellow tornado sign. Additionally, each building has yellow tornado signs posted to guide people to the safest area. When moving to the safe area of a building, the following guidelines should be followed:
- Avoid going near auditoriums, gymnasiums, or other such large rooms where roof collapse may be likely.
- Stay away from glass windows and exterior doors at all times.
- Move to the designated tornado safety area in an orderly fashion and use east stairways if available, since tornadoes generally follow a west to east path.
- Doors to all rooms should be kept closed.
- If time does not permit moving to the designated tornado safety area, sit on the floor under furniture, or near an inside wall.
- If caught outside, seek shelter in a low lying area laying face down.