ISU students should be aware of situations similar to the one faced in Iowa City last Thursday.

Iowa State has multiple emergency plans in place in case of severe weather.

“There are sirens throughout Ames and the ISU campus,” said ISU Police Capt. Robert Bowers. “They’re activated by the city of Ames.”

Bowers said people should seek shelter immediately when they hear the sirens.

In addition to tornado sirens, most of the academic buildings on campus are equipped with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios.

Angela Jewett, program coordinator for environmental health and safety, said the radios are placed in administrative offices, and are operated by the National Weather Service. She said administrators should notify those in the buildings to seek shelter when they hear about severe weather in the area.

Iowa State received the radios through a grant to Story County.

“Buildings have worked on plans for them to notify their occupants if there’s a tornado warning,” Jewett said.

In situations in which there are not basements, Jewett said occupants should find the safest shelter possible.

“In that situation the best thing to do is to put as many walls between you and the outside as possible,” she said. “The lowest floors of the buildings are best, so they’re away from the roof areas. Roof areas are prone to the most damage first. [People] should also look for smaller rooms with no windows.”

There are problem areas on campus, as well, including the Farm House Museum.

Jewett said her office has instructed faculty who work in that building to take occupants to Ross Hall as quickly as possible.

“We have visited with the Farm House Museum,” she said. “They have a bit of a basement. However, they have a very narrow, hard-to-get-at staircase, so it would be hard to get a number of people down that quickly.”

Bowers said Iowa State is working on labeling proper shelter areas.

“We’re working on putting up signs for storm shelter areas,” he said.