Severe Weather -- Vanderbilt Police Department

Severe Weather

Severe Weather Information and Tornado Information

The Vanderbilt Severe Weather Early Warning System
Monthly Siren System Tests
National Weather Service Watches and Warnings
Thunderstorm safety
Tornados and Middle Tennessee
When severe weather is forecast or a Tornado Watch is issued
When a Tornado Warning is Issued
FAQs
Links

The Vanderbilt Severe Weather Warning System
As part of the emergency preparedness plan, Vanderbilt has taken several steps to prepare for the advent of severe weather. A commercial weather monitoring company is contracted to monitor for any severe weather that approaches the Vanderbilt campus. This is specific for Vanderbilt and is not a general Nashville alert.
If lightning, high winds, or tornados are detected within 30 minutes of campus Vanderbilt is notified through both dedicated computer and fax lines located in the Vanderbilt Police Department. Should the storm continue toward Vanderbilt and come within 15 minutes of campus, the weather monitoring company will issue a warning for that specific storm.
No sirens sound for lightning or high winds, however, notification is sent to key departments such as Plant Operations, Athletics, the Student Rec Center, and the Child Care Centers. This notification allows the Student Rec Center staff to notify persons to leave the intramural fields in a timely manner, alerts the childcare centers to bring children indoors, and notifies Athletics Department officials that they may have to suspend an outdoor practice or competition.
If a tornado is detected within 15 minutes, the VPD dispatcher on duty activates the Severe Weather Warning System.
The System includes the outdoor warning system, notification via AlertVU messaging, and notification via the overhead PA system in the portions of the medical center and clinic.
The outdoor system includes:

A mechanical siren on the roof of Lupton Hall in the Branscomb Quadrangle.
Electronic sirens on the roofs of

The Student Recreation Center
The Kensington Garage above Health Plus
The Kennedy Center/MRL Building
The Baker Building Garage

The Vanderbilt sirens have a distinctive tone, similar to an air raid siren, and can be heard within a 1.5 mile radius of campus. You can hear a sample of the VU siren by clicking here
Should tornadic weather be within fifteen minutes of reaching campus, the sirens will sound for three minutes. The sirens may be re-activated during over the course of the warning, at the discretion of the VPD watch commander on duty, to assist in alerting persons to seek shelter indoors.
In addition to the severe weather sirens, VPD officers may use the patrol car PA systems to aid in clearing outdoor locations.

Monthly Siren System Tests
The Metro sirens are tested at noon on the first Saturday of each month.
The Vanderbilt Sirens are tested the first Saturday of each month IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING the test of the Metro Sirens.
This sequence allows individuals to be able to hear and distinguish the Metro sirens from the VU sirens by both location and distinctive alert tone.

Siren typically sound for only 30 seconds during tests, rather than 3 minutes as they are for actual alerts.

Tests of the siren system are usually preceded by announcements stating “This is a test of the Vanderbilt Severe Weather Sirens. This is ONLY a test.” Because voice announcements do not carry as far as the siren wail, the announcements may not be audible in all locations prior to the test.

Tests of the siren system are usually followed by announcements stating “This has been a test of the Vanderbilt Severe Weather Sirens. This was ONLY a test.” Because voice announcements do not carry as far as the siren wail, the announcements may not be audible in all locations following the test.

In addition to the regular monthly testing, periodic tests may be conducted during the week to familiarize those who are not here on Saturdays with the siren system. Tests will be publicized in advance.

National Weather Service Watches and Warnings
National Weather Service watches and warnings:

A National Weather Service Watch indicates conditions are favorable for the development of severe weather in your area. Such watches allow you time to check your emergency kit and make other preparations.
A National Weather Service Warning indicates severe weather exists or is imminent for your area. You should pay close attention and be ready to take immediate action, if advised.

You may be aware of NWS Watches and warnings through radio and tv reports or through text/e-mail services to which you may have subscribe. You should heed these local alerts, even though NWS alerts do not generally trigger internal VU notifications because they are not specific to the campus, and be aware that severe weather conditions can develop or change very rapidly. Consult current weather reports before planning outdoor activities or traveling when weather watches are in effect.

Lightning Safety Information:

More people are killed in the U.S. by lightning each year than by tornadoes and hurricanes.
If you can see lightning or hear thunder you are already at risk! Most lightning injuries and fatalities occur when people are caught outdoors in the summer months during the afternoon and evening

Postpone outdoor activities if thunderstorms are imminent. This is your best way to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation.
Seek safe shelter when you first hear thunder, see dark threatening clouds developing overhead or lightning. Count the seconds between the time you see lightning and hear the thunder. You should already be in a safe location if that time is less than 30 seconds.
Move to a sturdy building or car. Picnic shelters, dugouts, sheds and other partially open or small structures are NOT safe. Do not take shelter in small sheds, under isolated trees, or in convertible automobiles.
Stay away from tall objects such as trees, towers, fences, telephone poles, and power lines.
If lightning is occurring and a sturdy shelter is not available, get inside a hard top automobile and keep the windows up. Avoid touching any metal.
Stay inside until 30 minutes after you last hear thunder.

Location of lightning fatalities

In the United States, an average of 62 people are killed each year by lightning. In 2007, 45 people were struck and killed by lighting in the U.S.; hundreds of others were injured. Of the victims who were killed by lightning:

98% were outside
89% were male
30% were males between the ages of 20-25
25% were standing under a tree
25% occurred on or near the water

Tornados and Middle Tennessee –
A tornado is destructive when it descends to earth, where its path may vary from 50 yards to one mile in width. Wind speed inside a tornado can exceed 300 mph. While most tornados have a forward speed of about 35 to 40 miles per hour, some move very slowly and others may move along at over 60 mph.
There have been 13 major tornadoes in the Nashville/Davidson County area since 1974 and 10 tornadoes since 1994 including three tornadoes that caused major damage in several parts of the city in 1998. (OEM)
In addition to these storms, on February 5th 2008 a series of storms damaged property southwest of Nashville and then passed through Davidson County but did not spawn any tornadoes here. A short time after passing through Davidson County, the storm spawned tornadoes northeast of town, including one nearly ¾ of a mile wide with a 12-mile track that killed 14 people in Macon County.
March through May is considered tornado season, so take steps now to be prepared if a tornado strikes.
If you are not familiar with the watches and warnings issued by the National Weather Service, as well as Vanderbilt’s severe weather warning system, you are encouraged to read that information below and develop your personal severe weather plan for actions you intend to take in the event of a potential severe weather emergency.

When Severe Weather is forecast or a Tornado Watch is issued for Davidson County:
A thunderstorm or tornado watch is issued whenever weather conditions exist that could produce a severe storm in this area. A severe thunderstorm warning is issued when a storm is observed moving toward the area. In case of a severe thunderstorm watch or warning or a tornado watch:
Sirens will not sound.
Consider postponing outdoor activities if thunderstorms are imminent. This is your best way to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation
Be alert to the possibility of high winds or hail. Should a storm develop, move away from windows exposed to the impact of high winds into a protected area of hallway until the danger is past.
Plan ahead! Know where you can seek refuge quickly.
Practice a "tornado drill" at least once a year. Know where you plan to go if the sirens sound. Use the buddy system to check in after an incident to keep others from worrying and have a pre-determined place to meet after an incident occurs.
Make your friends and family aware of the potential for tornadoes in the area.
Monitor local TV, radio or NOAA Weather Radio and stay alert for Warnings.

When a Tornado Warning is issued for Davidson County:
A NWS tornado warning for any portion of Davidson County will result in the county sirens being activated. These sirens may be heard in proximity to campus and are re-activated every eight minutes for the duration of the warning.

Metro Sirens are located near campus in Fannie Mae Dee and Centennial Park. For a complete listing of all of the Metro sirens and to hear a sample of the Metro sirens, go to
http://www.nashville.gov/oem/siren/siren.htm
Even though there may not be a tornado heading toward campus, the county sirens are sounded because conditions are right for tornadic activity somewhere in the County. Because severe weather conditions can form or change very rapidly, consult current weather reports before going outdoors or traveling when an NWS warning is in effect for the area

Additionally, when a tornado warning is issued for Davidson County, the Vanderbilt Medical Centre goes to a higher state of readiness.

FAQs

Can the outdoor siren system be used for other announcements?
The electronic sirens do have the ability to broadcast voice announcements; however, the ability to clearly hear those announcements diminishes with distance from the siren sites and with environmental conditions. The sirens themselves can generally be heard at outdoor locations across campus.

How am I warned if I am indoors?
AlertVU notices are launched when VPD receives notice that a tornado is approaching within 15 minutes of campus. This notice would alert subscribers via text message, phone call, and e-mail.
Persons who have heard the sirens, heard the overhead announcements in the medical center, or received AlertVU notices are encouraged to warn others of the approaching weather conditions.

How will I know when the threat has passed?
Persons are encouraged to monitor a weather radio, commercial radio/television station, Internet or other weather service provider once they have taken shelter indoors. It is important to remember that even when a specific cell has passed beyond the area, conditions may still be right for high winds, lightning, and other hazardous weather conditions.

Links
Vanderbilt University Emergency Preparedness and Planning