Severe Weather Instructions

The following procedures have been developed for Hope College to give guidance in severe weather situations. These guidelines should be followed by faculty, staff, and students to prevent unnecessary risk or injury to those using the facilities of Hope College.

Tornadoes Shelter Areas on Campus Campus Map Electrical Storms Snowstorms In The Event of a Weather Emergency

Tornadoes

Hope College has developed a campuswide Emergency Action Phone Tree which is activated by Public Safety whenever a tornado watch or warning is issued. When you become aware of a weather warning you should do the following:

In the event of a TORNADO WATCH (weather conditions which may develop into a tornado.)

1. Have someone in your building or department listen and monitor local radio or television for updates in the weather conditions.

2. Refresh your memory on where the emergency shelters are located and be prepared to move to them on short notice.

In the event of a TORNADO WARNING (actual sighting of a tornado by spotters or Doppler radar in the Ottawa County area.)

1. You should IMMEDIATELY seek shelter in the nearest designated shelter area.

2. Continue to monitor e-mail, local radio, and television for indications from the National Weather Service that the Tornado Warning is lifted.

Do not clear your shelter area until officially given the all-clear for Ottawa County by the National Weather Services via local television or radio. Hope College will not issue an all-clear unless it is based on official information from the National Weather Service.

Shelter Areas on Campus

Most academic and residential buildings on campus are of heavy construction and shelters are available in these buildings.

The shelter areas are designated by color coded signs which are blue and red. The blue signs indicate direction to the shelter areas. The red signs indicate the actual shelter area.

If you are in a building which does not have designated shelter areas you should proceed to a building which does. Check this out in advance and learn which building, closest to the building you work or live in, has a shelter area.

If your building does not have a designated shelter area you may go to one that does. If it is not possible to get to a shelter area, you should go to the lowest level of the building you are in and look for interior space away from load-bearing walls on the south and west sides and away from windows.

Buildings with designated shelter areas are: Admissions House, College East Apartments, Cook Hall, Cosmo/Wyckoff, DePree Art Center, DePree Art Center, DeWitt Center, Dow Center, Durfee Hall, Dykstra Hall, Gilmore Hall, Graves Hall, Haworth Center, Kollen Hall, Kraker Apartments, Lichty Hall, Peale Science Center, Phelps Hall, Scott Hall, VanderWerf Hall, Van Vleck Hall, VanZoeren Hall, Van Wylen Library, and Voorhees Hall.

Electrical Storms

Electrical storms happen quite frequently in West Michigan. Electrical storms do not require class cancellations. However, departments with outside activities should either move indoors or cancel the activity. This may include athletic events, student activities, or other college sponsored events.

Power outages can result from electrical storms. If the power goes out, turn off computers and monitors until power is restored. We recommend that you wait for several minutes to see if the power returns before ending your activity.

Snowstorms

Snowstorms rarely result in cancellation of classes. However, in the event that classes must be canceled, the President and Provost will make this determination based on local conditions. Messages about cancellation of classes will be posted on KnowHope, distributed by e-mail and broadcast by area radio and television stations. We recommend that you listen to WHTC-AM (1450). Decisions generally will be made by 7 a.m. Do not call the college switchboard.

In the Event of a Weather Emergency