Editorial: Upcoming month should put campus on alert
With warm air and spring weather approaching, it’s time for changes in the weather that could potentially be devastating. We need to be ready.
Among the biggest threats around springtime are floods and tornadoes.
Franklin knows all too well about floods, considering much of Johnson County is still reeling from the flood that happened here three years ago. Given that March 15-19 marks Flood Safety Awareness Week, it seems appropriate to be aware of potential flooding conditions.
Rain is not the only contributing factor to flooding. Some others include:
n Snow packs including 10 or more inches of water.
n Mild temperatures since mid-March.
n December precipitation, which was four times above average.
And this is not just an anecdotal situation. According to the National Weather Service, one-third of the country should expect water levels to be above average in comparison to other years. This area includes Franklin and most of Indiana.
"We are looking at potentially historic flooding in some parts of the country this spring," Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told reporters Tuesday.
The NOAA expects crest levels of rivers to be much higher than last year’s levels, most of which set records across the nation.
Whether Franklin College would be evacuated during a flood would depend on how high the water level actually reached.
"During times of flood, you should avoid low lying areas or areas prone to flooding," said Tom Patz, project manager for organizational development and safety.
Last year in Fargo, N.D., a local river crested at 38 feet, resulting in massive flooding. The city has already taken measures to attempt to avoid flooding by stockpiling sandbags around the river.
The city of Fargo is showing initiative in attempting to avoid potentially devastating consequences. Franklin needs to be sure to do the same. Placing sandbags around the nearby creek would not be a bad idea, but some responsibility falls on students.
We need to be sure to know emergency procedures for all emergency situations – not just floods.
Students should know evacuation routes and safety locations, just in case an emergency siren ever sounds.
Franklin College has several notification systems in place.
"The forms of emergency notification include, but are not limited to, emergency text messages, emergency pop-up messages to computers on the Franklin College network, e-mails and campus phone calls," Patz said.
Students need to know these important emergency issues for the spring, because, according to predictions from the NOAA, we may need to use them.
