The spring season in Georgia means beautiful weather, but it also means the potential for severe weather. It is important for everyone to prepare for severe weather events, especially pop-up thunderstorms that frequently occur in the Southeast. The Georgia Tech Police Department’s Office of Emergency Preparedness encourages students, faculty and staff to be prepared by developing a plan, assembling a disaster supply kit and signing up for emergency notification.

Georgia Tech alerts the campus community when there is a Tornado Warning, which means tornadoes have been detected on radar or visually identified. All students receive email alerts. In order to receive emergency alerts on their cell phones via voicemail and text message, students must sign up for the Georgia Tech Emergency Notification System (GTENS) at www.passport.gatech.edu. Georgia Tech also has an outdoor siren warning system to alert students who are travelling between classes or exercising outdoors. Parents can receive alerts from the Office of Emergency Preparedness through our Facebook and Twitter pages.  Campus community members are also encouraged to visit the Institute website for information and updates during severe weather events.

"Students should have a plan of action before a threatening tornado or other weather event develops," said Georgia Tech Emergency Preparedness Director Andy Altizer. “Know what to do and where to go if there is a tornado warning. We may not always have enough time to alert you to sudden weather changes. If there is a chance of severe weather, pay attention and be prepared to take action.”

Severe weather can occur anytime, so it is important that individuals remain diligent in their preparedness efforts. For additional emergency preparedness information, visit www.emergencypreparedness.gatech.edu.