HomeMy WebLinkAboutTornado Protection 1975 BRAZOS COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
BRYAN TEXAS APRIL 14, 1975
T O R N A D O P R O T E C T I O N
SHELTER AREAS
1. BASEMENT
If no basement is available:
1) Interior corridors on lowest floor near east or north side of building.
2) Avoid west and southwest sides of building.
3) Keep away from windows and doors.
4) Put as many walls as possible between you and south and west sides of
building.
2. BEST TORNADO SHELTER:
1) Lowest floor.
2) Under short -span ceiling.
3) Interior of building.
4) Room with framed construction (rather than load- bearing walls).
5) Avoid areas with overhead ceiling equipment or near chimneys.
DANGERS TO CONSIDER:
1. Disintegrating effect of wind pressure against walls, windows, and doors
on south and west sides of building.
2. Collapse of high portions of building, such as chimneys and equipment,
into lower areas.
3. Missiles propelled through the air by high winds.
4. Explosive effect when air pressure inside building momentarily is higher
than that outside.
STAY AWAY FROM:
1. South and west walls of building.
2. Windows and doors.
3. Large rooms with freespan roofs (gymnasiums, cafeterias, auditoriums).
4. Areas with overhead equipment, near chimneys, load- bearing walls.
5. Corridors that may develop into "wind tunnels," i.e., those that open
toward the south or west (in line with the line of travel of tornado).
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( TAKEN FROM NOAA WEEK VOLUME 6 NUMBER 14, APRIL 4, 1975)
Team of Professors Refines Tornado Safety Rules for Schools
C ontinued rom e 1 They cautioned that large
"BEST AVAILABLE" TORNADO SHELTER f rooms with free -span roofs are
The professors who did the re- particularly dangerous because of
P the likelihood of roof failure,
search for the report are James an d said that roofs of rooms •
Aberneth of Lawrence Institute
CLASS CL ASS cuss CUSS CLASS ss CLASS CLASS y such gyiumslU fail cafeterias,
se
aerodynamic "lifting" by winds
ROOM ROOM ROOM T ROOM ROOM POOM ROOM Of Te chnology, Southfield, and auu ditoriums fail because of
Mich., project coordinator;
el
; 1: U : "
TI PURPOSE Joseph Minor, lames McDonald, passing over the roof plus
Roots and Kishor Mchta of Texas Tech ballooning" from within caused
•
CLASS CL ss I CLASS CASS CLASS University; Uwe Koehler of Ball by inrushing air through open - ROOM ROOM M AOOM ROOM DOOM State University, Indiana; Billy ings in an exterior wall.
•
BOILER �MITCHEN Manning of Auburn University, Also to be avoided are areas
ROOM , n Alabama; and Thomas Hanson of
ONE -LEVEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL with lots of glass, corridors and
the University of Detroit. All are spaces likely to become "wind
_ either architects or engineers. tunnels," and areas with load -
CLASS - CLASS o �e t� a �o .o a ROOM _ ROOM The report was prepared for the bearing walls—those where roofs
Community Preparedness staff of and floors depend on walls for
CLASS . cuss the Weather Service. their support.
Roots ROOM. The researchers said the princi- The "wind tunnel" effect
pa l effects of the peak tornado occurs in corridors and spaces in
Q r winds are, in order of impor- line with the tornado's travel.
MINDER MINDER
F GARTER GARIEN tance; People caught in such 'locations
- - —the disintegrating pressure should sit, crouch, or lie flat and
to against walls, windows and cover their heads, because glass,
E., / doors; gravel, dirt, and debris will —the devastating effect of mis- • actually move horizontally
�_ SO riles propelled by the wind; through these tunnels. Interior
Q V o —the collapse of high portions of corridors facing north are usually
1 4` b� buildings, such as chimneys, into safest, followed by those facing
0° N lower parts which would other - i • amage; a that face south or west should
TOR —thwise e su explosive ffer little east, so corridors with openings
pressure differ - b avoided. Also to be avoided
d
ential when air pressure inside a are doorways that open into
\
W IND S PEEDS building s momentarily higher
` 1 than ou y outside. south-
it n rooms,
is n cesssary to and
occupy y They s schoolbuildings corridor with a door facing an
? O:01 designed to meet usual code approaching tornado, people
requirements seldom fail because should stay well back from the
NZ o ____,/ of explosive decompression, but door.
..,/ usually because of some com- The report also lists "good
bination of the other three. features" for tornado shelters, in
Blacked -in areas show best- available tornado shelter areas for Time and time again they order of importance, as a place
school population of 508 students and 32 staff, with each person found tornado - devastated schools on the lowest floor, under a
alloted six square feet of shelter space during tornado emergency. with south and west walls short -span ceiling, in the interior
Schematic drawing of maxi - tornado shows increase in wind force on • knocked inward and shattered of the building, in a room with
right side as a result of tornado travel. The university analysts say window glass imbedded in framcd construction rather than
that if a large tornado hit this school some persons occupying some interior walls of south - facing load - bearing walls. It recom-
of the locations would be injured, but most likely there would be rooms. Windows on north - facing mends six square feet per person
few if any lives lost. rooms were often intact. in the shelter arca.
BRAZOS COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE
TORNADO WARNING STATION
RECEIVER SPECIFICATIONS FOR RECEIVING CIVIL DEFENSE WEATHER ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS
STATION CALL: KYB966
FREQUENCY: 154.085 MHZ FM
CAPABILITY: TONE -ALERT PAGING SYSTEM
BASE STATION TONE GENERATOR: REGENCY MODEL E!G
FOR TONE -ALERT OPERATION:
Your receiver must have the following tone channels and tone timing must
be compatible with Base Station Tone Generator
CALL 1 (Schools and General Public) TONE: 1st Tone 346.7
2nd Tone 384.6
ALL GALL TONE: 1st Tone 582.1
2nd Tone 524.8
TONE -ALERT Receivers Specifications
FREQUENCY: 154.085 MHZ FR
Crystal Controlled Narrow Band
Frequency Tolerance .001 %
ATENNA: Telescoping and external antenna capability
POWER: (Specify 115VAC, 60cy or 12VDC as required)
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
Squelch Control
Alert- Monitor switch
Reset Switch
Red Flashing light to indicate tone -alert has been activated
FOR TONE- ATRRT OPERATION:
Receiver must be able to receive base station tone generator signals.
Which has the following tone timing:
First Tone: .5 sec. to 1.5 sec.
interval to 0.5 sec.
Second Tone: .5 sec. to 3.0 sec.
The following local firms are known to have tone -alert UHF receivers,
some with recorders.
I. Claude Wright Associates (Plectron)
James A. Bland
P. 0. Box 3954
Bryan, Texas
Telephone: 822 -1858
II. Industrial Electronics, Inc. (Regency)
808 West 25th Street
Bryan, Texas
Telephone: 822 -5533
NOTE:
THE ABOVE SOURCES ARE T,TSTED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT
MEANT TO IMPLY THAT EQUIPMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE FROM OTHER FIRMS OR
THAT EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE PURCHASED FROM ABOVE SOURCES