Severe Weather Evacuation Plans: A Comprehensive Checklist

Severe weather events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, can pose significant threats to safety and property. Having a well-structured evacuation plan is crucial for ensuring the safety of all individuals during such emergencies.

1. Who is responsible for activating the plan? Is there a back-up?

Designate a primary individual responsible for initiating the evacuation plan and ensure there is a backup in case the primary person is unavailable.

2. What is/are the primary means of receiving severe weather information?

Utilize reliable sources such as NOAA Weather Radio with an alert feature to receive timely updates on severe weather conditions.

3. What method do you employ to alert teachers and students? Is there a back-up that does not require electricity?

Establish a clear communication system to alert all individuals, including a backup method that doesn't rely on electricity, such as whistles or hand signals.

4. Make provisions for the following problem areas:

• Students in mobile classrooms: Ensure they have a direct line of communication to the main building and a clear evacuation route.

• Students in cafeterias or gymnasiums: Assign staff to guide them to the safest areas promptly.

• Students with special needs: Assign a teacher to each student who needs special attention to ensure they arrive at a place of safety.

• Students outside during after-school activities: Implement procedures to quickly bring them indoors or to designated safe areas.

5. Five main problems for schools in a tornado:

• Forces caused by winds and the airflow around the building.

• Forces caused by other objects (debris) impacting school walls.

• Pressure differences caused by a tornado.

• Gas leaks and electrical hazards after the storm.

• "Wind Tunnel Effect" – When blown by tornado-strength winds, debris can cause serious injury when accelerated by relatively narrow hallways in schools.

6. Other thunderstorm hazards: Are you prepared?

• Lightning: Pose a threat well before strong winds/rain affect the area. Athletic teams out on open fields need to be especially cautious.

• Large hail: Can break windows and cause injuries.

• Heavy rains/flooding: Are there flood-prone areas near the school?

• Damaging "straight-line" winds: Can cause significant damage even without tornadoes.

7. Safest places to be in a school:

• Interior hallway on the lowest level.

• Away from windows.

• In a small room, such as a bathroom, surrounded by load-bearing walls.

• In a room without small objects that can serve as projectiles.

8. Some other aspects of designing a plan:

• Practice your plan: Have drills semi-annually (Fall and Spring).

• Include Severe Weather Safety Instruction as part of the drill period.

• Encourage teachers and administrators to develop a plan for their families at home. The knowledge that their families know what to do at home will enable them to focus their attention on the students.

• Educate school administrators about the structure of severe thunderstorms and the basic sequence of events as a storm approaches. Emphasize the variability that may exist with each storm and the need to understand basic storm structure to assist in determining the degree of threat at a school.

For more detailed guidance, refer to the Severe Weather Safety Plan Checklist provided by the National Weather Service.

By proactively developing and regularly updating a comprehensive evacuation plan, you can significantly enhance safety and preparedness for severe weather events.

Highlights:

• Severe Weather Safety Plan Checklist
• Get Prepared: Severe Weather Preparedness
• Preparing for Floods | Floods | CDC, Published on Monday, February 05