Weather Resources
Weather Resources
The Auburn University Emergency Management team works very hard to ensure that the campus community is prepared for weather related emergencies. Auburn University is equipped to receive and disseminate notifications in the event of severe weather and approaching storm systems. Severe weather can strike at any time and being prepared can help you remain safe.
Preparedness is the key in dealing with any weather hazard. Once severe weather threatens the Auburn University campus, you may only have minutes to react. Although the University monitors weather conditions and sends out warnings for tornadoes or other significant threats, if you do not know what to do or where to go, warnings are not effective. Everyone needs the knowledge to react quickly and execute a plan of action when severe weather materializes.
Many different resources are in place to help you react when severe weather threatens campus. The Tornado Warning Procedures for Faculty is provided to help Faculty members understand what to do in the event of a tornado warning. The Severe Weather Plan provides key terms, emergency actions and steps that can be taken to promote weather safety on campus.
The following links will help you to learn more about the weather monitoring and warning dissemination capabilities of the Emergency Management department on campus. Click on the highlighted links below to see more information:
Below are some related links that may also be helpful in your preparations for severe weather emergencies:
- NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE – BIRMINGHAM, AL
- 2009 ALABAMA SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS BROCHURE
- LEE COUNTY EMA
- ALABAMA EMA
- ACCU-WEATHER
You can also find weather alerts and other information from local media sites below:
- OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS
- WTVM-TV 9
- WRBL-TV 3
- WLTZ-TV 38
- WSFA-TV 12
- WAKA-TV 8
- MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER
- COLUMBUS LEDGER-ENQUIRER
TORNADO SIRENS (Outdoor Warning Sirens)
Auburn University currently has Whelen Systems voice and tine sirens installed on campus to help notify the campus of a TORNADO WARNING as well as other dangerous emergencies. The sirens can be activated from several locations to provide redundancy for the system. The Whelen sirens are placed in strategic locations on campus in an attempt to provide as much audible coverage as possible. As well as an audible warning tone, each siren can be used to communicate pre-recorded and live voice messages to campus.
TONE ALERT RADIOS
Auburn University has placed tone alert radios in all regularly occupied building on campus. The tone alert radios have the capability of being activated from several different locations on and off campus. The most common event that will cause an activation of the tone alert radios is a severe weather event. Unlike the outdoor warning sirens, the tone alert radios can be activated for severe weather watches and warnings to include but not limited to tornado warnings.
TESTING
The Outdoor Warning Sirens are put through an audible test for 3 minutes at noon on the 4th Wednesday of every month. This test will not take place if there is a threat of severe weather that has resulted in a weather watch or warning. The Tone Alert Radios are put through an audible test at 11:45 a.m. on the 4th Wednesday of every month. This test will not take place if there is a threat of severe weather that has resulted in a weather watch or warning.
STORM TRACKING
Auburn University has software which allows the Emergency Management team to track severe weather in real time. The Baron Services weather tracking software allows team members to view radar images which help them understand current weather conditions, track approaching storms, and make decisions about emergency notifications.