“Ohhhh Back to School, Back to School….”
Already in our first week of the new fall semester, weather and safety training sessions have been conducted at OU for all residence hall assistants, as well as for vendors providing temporary tent structures for campus events, tailgates and parties. As a result of our planning, preventive steps have been implemented when we have encountered weather safety issues.
For example, OU Camp Crimson student orientation activities at the football stadium were rescheduled in advance of rain, thus protecting thousands of dollars of audio and video equipment as well as the students and organizers. During sorority rush activities, 1,200 young women were moved indoors and sheltered in advance of a heavy thunderstorm that impacted the campus with frequent cloud-to-ground lightning. As soon as the lightning threat passed, their activities were able to resume with minimal disruption in their scheduled agenda. Bottled water and cooling stations were provided to students and parents during move-in days when the heat index exceeded 100F.
In each of these instances, the weather occurrence (rain, lightning or heat) did not meet the NWS warning criterion. In addition, these weather events were not the headline grabbers like tornados and hurricanes. But considering the specific activities taking place, the risk to life and property were real.
Dr. Kevin Kloesel is the university meteorologist for the University of Oklahoma’s Office of Emergency Preparedness.
