Saturday, at 3:53 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for College Park for a storm that had some signs of rotation in it.
Fortunately, no tornado was reported. College Park and this university only got whacked with a powerful thunderstorm that contained gusty winds. However, something went wrong with the university’s alerting system, and students were not alerted of the tornado threat through the campus alert system until nearly five minutes after the NWS warning. The campus warning was issued at 3:57, and some are asking, “Why?”
Why were the tornado sirens not sounded? More importantly, why did students not receive a text message until the storm was upon them? I was outside at the time on the Washington Quad, watching the thunderstorm approach, and was only alerted to the tornado warning from various applications on my phone. However, those who did not have access to these sources were left unaware of the impending storm’s danger. The text message students received made no mention of the fact that the tornado warning was valid for College Park; even if the central campus wasn’t included, it was still way too close for comfort.
In the event of an actual tornado, a minute or two is generally not enough time to make critical decisions regarding one’s safety, especially when facing a storm moving at 30 mph.
Fortunately, the tornado threat never manifested, but what if it had? As mentioned in the warning text, ”THIS TORNADO MAY BE WRAPPED IN RAIN AND HARD TO SEE. TAKE COVER NOW.” Rain-wrapped tornadoes are really difficult to see unless you know what you are trying to find. When the storm did actually hit the campus, it looked like a tornado to me, and a severe thunderstorm warning for hurricane-force winds should set off the sirens — or at least warrant a student alert. The initial severe thunderstorm warning predicted winds of 70 mph or greater, wind speeds similar to the derecho of June.
Administrators, I am not asking for anything other than an explanation. Why were the sirens not sounded even though you sounded them in October for a non-existent threat? A recommendation by AccuWeather is one thing, but this came from The National Weather Service, the only authority in the country with the ability to issue these high-level, urgent warnings.
You lucked out this time, but what if this happens again with another tornado threat? One that actually does include the campus and involves an actual tornado, as was the case in 2001? Nobody wants to repeat that scenario.
The administration set a dangerous precedent with their actions Saturday. Tornadoes in Maryland are rare, but they do hit. Will the administration ignore weather alerts from the National Weather Service and only rely on AccuWeather’s recommendations? Who takes precedent in this situation? The student body deserves answers as to why they were not alerted to an imminent threat to their safety.
Jordan Tessler is a junior geography major. He can be reached at jordanztessler@gmail.com.
