ODU to Participate in Statewide Tornado Drill Tuesday, March 12

March 11, 2013

To prepare for the possibility of a tornado, Gov. Bob McDonnell has declared Tuesday, March 12, "Tornado Preparedness Day." In conjunction with the designation, a tornado drill will be conducted at all state agencies, including Old Dominion University.

At 9:45 a.m. the university's outdoor alarm system will be sounded to signal the start of the drill, which will take place at four buildings on campus - Child Study Center, Child Development Center, Student Recreation Center and ODU police headquarters - said Assistant Chief of Police Paul Midgett.

The drill will take approximately 15 minutes and the outdoor alarm system will sound an all-clear signal at 10 a.m., Midgett said.

Students, faculty and staff not participating in the drill should carry on with normal activities with the understanding that the alarm is only an annual test.

As a reminder, during a real tornado emergency, seek shelter in a windowless interior room (closet, bathroom, interior hall) on the lowest level of a building. For buildings that have basements, seek shelter in the basement. All members of the campus community are encouraged to review tornado preparedness plans at www.vaemergency.com.

For more information visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management's website. For help developing an emergency plan, go here.