Redefining a Weather Ready University

The University of Oklahoma's Office of Emergency Preparedness regularly plans and prepares for life threatening weather events including lightning storms, winter weather, hail and tornadoes and threats to human comfort such as cold and heat. After the May 2013 tornados in Central Oklahoma, OU revisited its weather protocols and looked for ways it could better serve the thousands of students that live on campus as well as the rest of the OU family.

This presentation will outline how the OU Office of Emergency Preparedness is integrating weather safety awareness into daily operations, including the training of faculty, staff, student organizations, the Greek community and OU Athletics. Weather monitoring and forecasting strategies for every type of campus activity from parades and commencement to football games will be discussed, including specific cases where potential disaster was averted through proactive weather forecasting, monitoring, decision making, and communication of actions.

In addition, OU is spending millions of dollars on shelters for on campus residents, and each new construction project on campus will have weather safety as part of its design.

This comprehensive weather safety strategy is redefining the notion of a Weather Ready university.