Environmental Health and Safety

Each building on the BGSU campus is supplied with tornado warning signs which tell occupants where to take cover if a funnel cloud has been sighted in the area. All university staff should familiarize themselves with the instructions that are posted in their building. Call 372-2171 if your area needs tornado warning signs.

Event organizers (indoor and outdoor events) should plan for tornado shelters in advance. Consider whether the posted shelter areas in your building will house the number of participants and, if not, which nearby buildings will be open.

If a tornado has been observed in the Bowling Green area, the Wood County Communications Center will activate outdoor tornado sirens along with tornado sirens in some BGSU buildings. In this event, seek tornado shelter areas for your building and listen to local radio or TV stations.

While Ohio's normal tornado season is from April to July, tornadoes can strike in all months and at any time of the day. Most tornadoes occur between the hours of 2:00pm and 10:00pm. Tornadoes can approach from any direction, but in Ohio, about 90 percent of them come from the southwest quadrant of the horizon. They usually are preceded by very heavy rains or hail. The National Weather Service uses specific terminology for severe weather forecasts.