Thunderstorms, Lightning, and Tornados:

Bexar County has experienced several severe thunderstorms, many producing large hail, high winds, and lightning.  The campus has high power lines running close to the buildings which are cause for additional concern, especially in regards to lightning and wind damage from a toppled tower.

Historically, Bexar County has had 57 tornadoes reported since January 1, 1950.  Two of those were rated as F3 tornadoes or higher, and one of was an F4 in 1953.  Three deaths and 60 injuries are attributed to these 57 storms, and damages were set at $59.4 million.  Texas leads the nation with an average of 139 tornadoes reported each year. (Source:  San Antonio Express-News, April 26, 2007).

Indoors - Turn on battery-operated radio or television to get the latest emergency information. If told by the authorities to leave, do so immediately.

Outdoors - Climb to high ground and stay there. Avoid walking through any floodwaters. If it is moving swiftly, even water 6 inches deep can sweep you off your feet.

In a car – If you come to a flooded area, turn around and use an alternate route. If your car stalls, abandon it immediately and climb to higher ground. Many deaths have resulted from attempts to move stalled vehicles or to cross low-water crossings in and around Bexar County.

Shelter-In-Place

There may be situations when it's simply best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside. There are other circumstances when staying put and creating a barrier between yourself and potentially contaminated air outside, a process known as "shelter-in-place," is a matter of survival. Use available information to assess the situation. If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated, you may want to take this kind of action. 

• To "Shelter-in-place" bring everyone including pets inside.
• Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers.
• Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems.
• If you have an emergency supply kit then you should keep it with you unless you have reason to believe it has been contaminated.
• Go into an interior room with few windows, if possible. Seal all windows, doors and air vents with plastic sheeting and duct tape. Consider measuring and cutting the sheeting in advance to save time. Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you create a barrier between yourself and any contamination.
• Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do. However, you should watch TV, listen to the radio or check the Internet often for official news and instructions as they become available.
• The San Antonio area historical tornado activity is below the Texas state average. However it is 19% greater than the overall U.S. average. On April 28, 1953, a category 4 (max. wind speeds 207-260 mph) tornado 15.3 miles away from the San Antonio city center killed two people and injured 15 people. On November 22, 1961, a category 3 (max. wind speeds 158-206 mph) tornado 5.1 miles away from the city center caused between $500 and $5000 in damages.

Action

If there is severe weather during the normal work day, the senior member of the Crisis Management Team available on site at the time will decide whether or not to evacuate the building, send the staff home, and cancel classes or to seek shelter in-place.

If there is severe weather after normal work hours, the senior member of the Crisis Management Team available on site at the time of the power failure or the Security Guard will decide whether or not to evacuate the building and cancel classes or have everyone seek shelter in-place for safety.  In the absence of the Security Guard any instructor on site can make that determination.

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