Weather Communications Test
- date: 03/24/21
- time: 11:00 AM - 11:10 AM
- contact:? University Communications ? contact@unomaha.edu

UNO will test its emergency communications channels on Wednesday, March 24, in preparation for severe weather in the spring and summer.
Rumbling thunder. Gusting wind. Heavy rain.
March 22 through 26 marks Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Nebraska, highlighting the important information we all need to keep ourselves save when severe weather becomes a threat.
The UNO campus will conduct a routine test of our campus warning systems on Wednesday, March 24, sometime between 10 and 11 a.m. in coordination with a test of Douglas County's outdoor sirens.
During this time, test messages will go out via a variety of UNO channels. This includes:
- UNO Alert text and email messages (Sign up for UNO Alert)
- Posts on UNO's Facebook and Twitter accounts
- An emergency banner on the UNO homepage
The UNO community can participate in the drill by using this time to review information regarding where their designated shelter area would be located based on their on-campus schedule, as well as what steps they would need to take in the event of an actual severe weather situation.
NOTE: Due to COVID-19 safety guidelines, please do not physically go to your shelter area during this drill.
View important severe weather tips
How the Drill Will Work
The drill, which should last roughly five minutes, will begin with a test message sent by Public Safety and an overhead page.
NOTE: Even if Douglas County needs to reschedule its test for a later date, UNO will continue the campus drill as scheduled.
Once the drill is over, Public Safety will send an all clear message via text and overhead paging. If you are on campus and do not hear an overhead page announcement, please notify UNO Public Safety by emailing Dave Points, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, at dpoints@unomaha.edu.
During an actual warning scenario, students, faculty and staff must report to their designated shelter area or leave the building. Failure to follow these instructions could result in administrative, academic or possible criminal sanctions depending on the circumstances. You cannot be forced to stay in a shelter area; however, if you choose not to go to a shelter, you must leave the building.
Future Tests
Regular severe weather communications testing of student housing will continue throughout the severe weather season in coordination with the Douglas County Emergency Management Agency.
These tests are scheduled for the first Wednesday of every month and will run from April through October.
Scenarios for a Warning/Outdoor Siren
Aside from these scheduled monthly tests, there are three reasons that sirens will go off during the severe weather season:
- The National Weather Service issues a Tornado Warning for any part of Douglas County;
- A public safety official or trained storm-spotter visually confirms a rotating funnel cloud or tornado in Douglas County;
- Douglas County 911 receives credible reports of damage or the imminent threat of hurricane-force sustained winds (74-plus mph)
Didn't Receive an Alert?
If you do not receive an alert during the test, but thought you were signed up for UNO Alert; or if you did not hear an overhead page in your building, please contact Sgt. Dave Points at 402.554.3700 or dpoints@unomaha.edu.
Related Resources
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