UT Martin has often closed for anticipated dangerous winter weather, but it has rarely closed early because of the threat of severe storms.
That changed when the university closed at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, because of a forecast that included a wind advisory, a tornado watch, and the possibility for hail and tornadoes. While Martin got a lot of wind and rain, a few brief tornadoes did occur in western Kentucky.
Typically, in order to notify the campus community quickly of changing conditions, Public Safety sent RAVE alerts, first about the closing of campus and later about severe weather. Also, John Abel, assistant vice chancellor for Student Affairs, sent an email to all students to let them know that the main campus and all five of its regional centers were closing at 3 p.m. The closing included all classes scheduled after 3 p.m., all fitness and intramural activities, the Paul Meek Library, the Elam Center pool, the food court and the Student Recreation Center.
The dining hall remained open for normal service hours but consisted of more grab-and-go options.
“All UT Martin residents and off-campus students can seek shelter at any time tonight in the Cooper, Ellington or Browning Hall basements,” Abel wrote in the email.
UT Martin also had other locations prepped for those seeking shelter, including Gooch 121A, the hallway across from the Gooch Hall auditorium.
Storms are common in April and May, but a look at the comments on any given Facebook Live provided by WPSD-TV Channel 6’s weather team shows that area residents are nervous following the destructive tornado outbreaks of Dec. 10, 2021.
However, to stay safe during the spring storm season, or any storm, students and the community can take precautions and make sure they take any watches or warnings seriously. They should also keep their phones charged and have a way to get the latest weather information.
Other tips:
• If employees are notified of a tornado warning, they should alert the building occupants and move to the safest place in their building and/or complex. They should not pull a fire alarm – no one should leave the safety of the building. Students, faculty and staff should not leave the building until they are notified that the danger has passed. It is helpful if flashlights are kept handy as a power outage may occur during this type of storm.
• Safe places to seek shelter include basements of modern, steel-reinforced office and classroom buildings, storm shelters, tunnels, sub-basements, basements, and interior corridors. Dangerous places to seek shelter include auditoriums, gymnasiums, aircraft hangars, modular buildings, structures with wide, free-span roofs, upper stories of office buildings, glass-enclosed areas and vehicles.
• The basement or ground-floor interior corridor usually offers the greatest safety in campus buildings. Seek shelter in the middle of the building. Take cover under heavy furniture or in an interior hallway against a strong, inside wall on the lower floor.
