Friday, March 13, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A • Page 5
Storm season is on the horizon
Precautions needed to prevent injuries
Cammi Heimann Special to the Kansan
Stay indoors. Go to the lowest floor of the building. Stay in interior hallways. Keep away from exterior doors and windows.
University students, faculty and staff may overlook the on-campus neon-green signs bearing these instructions. However, as Kansas enters the severe weather season, these instructional signs may take on a little more meaning.
Rick Nightingale, assistant director of Facilities Operations, said the severe weather signs were University policy and were added to the inside entrances and halls of all University buildings in March 1995. The signs were recommended by the state fire marshal. The loud neon green color of the signs also was suggested by the fire marshal.
"The signs are hideous," Nightingale said. "We got all kinds of flack when they got put up because of that color. But the specifications
said that they had to get your attention."
Bob Porter, associate director of physical plant maintenance, agreed the color was strange and said the signs had to be highly visible on every floor of every building.
"That funky green with black lettering gets everyone's attention," Porter said. "And they're located in corridors where there is a cross entrance — where people have to pass in order to leave a building."
John Mullens
"You go to a basement for the same reason that a soldier goes into a foxhole, except you're dodging 1969 Cadillacs instead of bullets. You try to make the stuff fly over you, not through you."
coordinator of University security and emergency planning
Porter said certain campus buildings, such as the Lied Center, did not have the neon signs because the color did not match the building decor.
The fire marshal gave the University paper signs to hang in University buildings in 1995, Nightingale said. Permanent signs were hung at the beginning of Kansas' severe weather season.
The severe weather season begins in March and continues through July, said Paula Phillips, director of Douglas County Emergency Management.
"This is the time when Kansas experiences the majority of its severe weather," Phillips said. "But we've had severe weather and
tornadoes in every month of the year.
Kansas ranks third in the nation in the number of tornadoes it experiences, behind Texas and Oklahoma, she said. The three states are known collectively as 'tornado alley.'
"But Kansas is No. 1 when it comes to having the most severe tornadoes," she said.
John Mullens, coordinator of University security and emergency planning, said most weather-related injuries resulted from flying debris rather than buildings collapsing. This is why it is best to go to the basement or to the lowest floor of a house or building, he said.
"You go to a basement for the reason that a soldier goes into
a foxhole, "Mullens said, "except you're dodging 1969 Cadillacs instead of bullets. You try to make the stuff fly over you, not through you."
Phillips said it was important to remember that severe thunderstorms could cause as much damage as tornadoes. She said often, people did not believe severe weather warnings unless they saw a tornado spinning in the distance.
"Disaster research clearly shows that in order for people to take cover from any kind of severe weather, they have to verify it for themselves and see if it applies to them," Phillips said. "But the weather service only issues warnings after the severe weather has been verified."
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY Kansan
Read it today!
Free Beverage w/ every sandwich or dinner (Senior dinners not included)
OPEN 24hrs.
"For Breakfast,
Dinner &
Everything in
Between"
1711 W. 23RD ST. • 842-9040
Not valid with other specials • Expires 3/20/98 MP#8
2 Free Games
Open 11-11
865-0809
23rd & Louisiana
Capcom vs. Marvel
with the purchase of a pop featuring:
SF RUSH THE ROCK & NFL Blitz
---
LAWRENCE AUTOMOTIVE DIAGNOSTICS
842-8665 2858 Four Wheel Dr.
There's a party in your wallet and all the presidents are invited.
Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-6:30pm, Sat 10am-2pm
"NO COUPON SPECIALS" EVERYDAY
TWO-FERS THREE-FERS PARTY '10' CARRY-OUT
2-PIZZAS 3-PIZZAS 10 PIZZAS 1-PIZZA
2-TOPPINGS 1-TOPPING 1-TOPPING 1-TOPPING
2-DRINKS 3-DRINKS 1-DRINK
$9.75 $12.50 $32.50 $3.75
Sun-Thurs 11am-2am Fri-Sat 11am-3am