Tornado Safety Locations

ODU has designated locations on campus to shelter in during a tornado watch or warning. You may or may not hear tornado sirens; always follow the instructions of Public Safety personnel.

Safe Areas by Building

These areas on campus have been designated as safe areas to gather during a tornado or severe weather situation.

• Alumni Hall – 1st floor locker rooms or hallway outside of the locker rooms.
• Aquinas – If you are in a 1st floor room, stay in your room, get under desks or bed. If you are on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th floor, go to stairwells or 1st floor hallways..
• Battelle Hall – 1st floor restrooms and storage spaces.
• Bishop James A. Griffin Student Center – 1st floor in the food service hallway/ dock area.
• Erskine Hall – Panther Plaza near stairwell (NOT where there is the high ceiling), and interior hallways.
• Fitness Center – Locker rooms.
• Fitzpatrick – Basement as close to the west end of the building as possible, not in stairwell.
• Guzman – Basement.
• Guzman Annex – Basement.
• Hamilton Hall - Interior kitchens.
• Las Casas – Basement.
• Lynam – 1st floor north end of building.
• Peace Hall - 1st floor interior hallways and main entrance stairwell lowest level.
• Physical Plant – Main hallway with the doors closed.
• Sansbury – 1st floor western hallway with the doors closed.
• Siena – If you are in a 1st floor room, stay in your room, get under desks or bed. If you are on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th floors, go to stairwells and 1st floor hallways.
• Spangler – Bottom floor outside of the LVC..
• St. Albert’s – 1st floor in the storage areas and restrooms. If unavailable, then interior hallway with doors closed.
• Wehrle – Bottom floor, ceramics room. If closed, go near restrooms or in photo lab.

 

These locations are NOT safe to be in during a tornado.

You must exit these locations, move toward the lowest ground possible and get down if a tornado touch-down seems likely. 

• Batting Building – Get out and head down to the baseball field (ditch).
• Maintenance Garage – Get out and head towards the creek. 
• SRC – Get out and head toward the creek. 

 

AED (automated external defibrillator) Locations

• Alumni Hall – Stairwell to coach’s offices.
• Alumni Hall – In Fitness Center.
• Bishop James A. Griffin Student Center – 1st floor on wall in rear hallway.
• Erskine Hall – On wall outside Room 133.
• Peace Hall – First floor entrance on wall across from restrooms.
• Sansbury Hall – First floor lobby on west side wall.
• Spangler Learning Center – On pillar on main floor east side of building.
• SRC – In Training Room.