Tornado season arrived early this spring. Director of Hillsdale Security and Emergency Management Chris Martini sent a campus-wide email at 4:39 p.m. on March 12, officially marking Hillsdale College’s first tornado watch of the year. Nine minutes earlier, Hillsdale County officially went under its first watch of the season as well.
Martini said that because of the uncharacteristically windy and warm temperatures this March, campus security is on alert for more extreme weather.
This past week Martini held a meeting with faculty, briefing them on procedures in the event of a tornado. In the past he has met with resident assistants, house directors, and building supervisors.
Following the tornadoes that touched down in early March and killed 39 people in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Alabama, Martini figured it was time to start preparing.
“It really showed the tornado season starting early,” Martini said of the destructive weather. “It added emphasis to what we already had planned and to move up our plans.”
For Martini, communication is key in preventing deaths due to extreme weather. For this reason, the college has invested in Connect Ed., which allows security to text every student and communicate over loud speakers, text scrolls on classroom video screens, and two-way radios.
The most important message Martini said he wants to send to students is, “I need to pay attention to the weather.” Students should think before they leave campus in their cars or for long runs.
While campus has thus far remained undamaged by tornadoes, thunderstorms, and straight-line winds, area residents often feel their effects.
Diane Welsh, 60, of Akron, Ohio was staying at her summer cottage on Lake Baw Beese when gusting winds knocked her power out.
“The danger was in the middle of the night at 1 a.m.,” Welsh said. “We lost power. The world became silent and we fumbled in the dark. We weren’t prepared. There were no warnings.”
The next day Welsh and her husband, Dave, drove to Walmart were they purchased supplies in anticipation of more bad weather this spring.
When wind comes only from one direction, there is no threat of a tornado, but there is danger of power outages and falling limbs.
Martini said maintenance goes around every spring and “aggressively trims back dead limbs” that could potentially fall on students.
Sophomore Jacob Barrett of Boise, Idaho said he is not very concerned about the weather this spring.
Boise, Idaho doesn’t get tornadoes, but his relatives in Oklahoma do and he’s heard their stories. Living in the Midwest doesn’t seem to trouble Barrett, however.
“I’m not really one to worry about that,” he said.
Martini implores students like Barrett to stay put in the event of lockdown. As director of security, this is his biggest challenge when storms set in.
“My advice is once there, sit tight,” Martini said. “You’re young and you’ve got a long life in front of you. Don’t risk it for an extra fifteen minutes.”
