by Sydney Poe | Feb 22, 2012 | News Slider
It may seem like a nuisance, but tornado warnings are meant to be anything but annoying. While students may be accustomed to wintertime classes being canceled for snow days, this semester they’ve been waiting out tornado warnings in basements across Lipscomb University’s campus. It may seem overdone and unnecessary, but the Lipscomb Crisis Center takes every threat very seriously. “We try and really monitor tornado activity,” said Kathy Hargis, the director of risk management. “We have several people who keep up with that so that we can give everybody an advance warning, specifically through LU alert.” While some students may find the alerts excessive, the crisis team tries their best to keep the campus informed. Hargis says when the Crisis Center sends out an LU alert there should be an action on the other end that ultimately keeps the person out of harm’s way. And it is especially important as Nashville enters into what has typically been the most intense part of the tornado season. Every spring, cities in the South and throughout the Midwest are wiped out by tornados. Last year, storms ripped through Alabama and southern Tennessee. Also, who can forget the powerful tornado that virtually wiped Joplin, Mo. off the map. While the storms themselves are somewhat predictable, tornados can pop up within a moment’s notice, not giving people in the area time to take cover. “There have been a lot of schools in the South that have had [tornados] hit their campus,” Hargis said. “So we really feel this type of thing will save lives if they take it [seriously],” said Hargis. It may seem ridiculous...
by Marlee Vogel | Mar 23, 2011 | News Slider
Tornado season in Middle Tennessee means increasing threats from the skies here at Lipscomb. In fact, the university has continued to hone its security plans, even going so far as to install a new warning system that was tested out during spring break. So far, this campus has been lucky over the years.But others haven’t been. For example, just two years ago Union University, in Jackson, Tenn., sustained severe tornado damage: roofs torn off, dorms destroyed, buildings flooded. Fortunately, no lives were lost at Union due to the university’s tornado preparedness. Being safe during a tornado is crucially important, and here at Lipscomb it is taken very seriously. Recalling the recent hazardous weather conditions, do you remember the obnoxious siren that continued blaring even when Lipscomb had cleared the tornado warning? Whenever the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Davidson County, the city of Nashville activates the countywide sirens. However, Davidson County covers a very wide area, and the alarm is sounded when there is a tornado warning anywhere in the county. This can be confusing and misleading. Fortunately, Lipscomb is taking action to halt confusion and notify students of any immediate danger. That’s where the new warning system comes in. Lipscomb has installed an emergency tower and outdoor warning system on top of the Bennett Campus Center. If there is a tornado warning in the immediate area, there will be a recorded message notifying those on campus to seek shelter immediately. You will hear a siren and then the message notifying you of the emergency. This system was tested during spring break and is ready to help keep students...
