Notice: Monday’s forecast

Campus community,

With the likelihood for severe inclement weather in tomorrow’s forecast, I’d like to remind everyone of certain weather-related protocols in the event an alert is issued. Longwood’s weather and public safety teams have been monitoring this storm as it has developed, and will continue to monitor the forecasts throughout the day tomorrow.

Longwood sends out emergency alert messages when the National Weather Service issues a Tornado Warning. That message alerts anyone on campus to go to the nearest building and locate the marked “tornado shelter area” inside. Typically this is on the ground floor in an indoor hallway away from doors and windows. We will follow up with another message about the time-frame of the tornado warning. A “tornado warning” is issued when a tornado has been spotted in the area or is indicated on radar, and typically has a shorter active time frame.

These messages will be sent via text, email, desktop alert system, Longwood Ready app, and Alertus beacons throughout campus. If you have not signed up for text alerts, you can here.

The National Weather Service also issues “tornado watches.” These are issued when general conditions are conducive to the development of tornadoes and typically are active for several hours. If the National Weather Service issues a tornado watch, there is no need to go to your building’s tornado shelter area. Please be aware that if the status of the watch changes, you will need to go to the designated area. You can read the National Weather Service’s descriptions of their alerts here.

In the event of a power outage, Longwood will be in contact with Dominion Power quickly to identify a timeframe for power restoration. The dining hall will operate on generator power and we will communicate with you through the emergency alerts system.

Thank you,
Matthew McWilliams