Severe Weather Preparedness: Educating Students, Staff and Faculty on Proper Responses

Meteorologist Kevin Kloesel will discuss creating all-weather hazard plans for campus activities and the complications COVID-19 presents to existing plans.

Campuses are not just institutions of learning; they are also social gathering spaces for a range of activities. Students, staff, faculty and visitors are constantly outdoors on U.S. campuses, exposed to the elements while participating in hundreds of events each year, including competitions, fairs, camps, parades, and field research.

The University of Oklahoma (OU) is the climatological epicenter for hazardous weather such as tornadoes, hail, damaging wind gusts, intense heat and cold, and dangerous lightning. For more than 1,000 hours each year, OU is under a weather advisory, watch or warning.

In this webinar, Dr. Kevin Kloesel, the meteorologist for OU’s campus safety department, will provide resources needed to create all-weather hazard plans for campus activities ranging from small-donor functions to large athletic events. He will also discuss the complications that COVID-19 presents to existing weather plans at your institutions.

Each webinar participant will be acclimated to the current research in weather hazard occurrence, detection, situational awareness tools, and sheltering protocols. The webinar will also include instructions on how to find and engage meteorological professionals in your area to help you with your weather alerting needs.

Speaker:

Dr. Kevin Kloesel – University Meteorologist, Department of Campus Safety
University of Oklahoma
Certified Oklahoma Emergency Manager

Dr. Kevin Kloesel is responsible for providing weather forecasts and weather safety information to the OU Department of Campus Safety before, during, and after weather threats. He also provides support to the OU Executive Policy Group in severe and winter weather situations in order to facilitate campus protection and closure decisions.

Kevin is a certified Oklahoma emergency manager and serves as a weather content expert for the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security and the Event Safety Alliance, and provides leadership on delivering weather safety support to the nation through the American Meteorological Society.

In addition, Kevin serves as Director of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS). OCS is charged with providing weather and climate data, analysis, and expertise to stakeholders and decision-makers throughout the state of Oklahoma.

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