The safety and well-being of our students, employees and visitors is our highest priority at The University of Alabama. Since, the University is vulnerable to severe weather all year, UA has prepared and will follow these guidelines during severe weather events.
Familiarize yourself with these guidelines and be prepared to quickly move to safety if severe weather occurs.
Some students and employees commute from adjacent counties. These counties may experience weather-related problems not encountered in Tuscaloosa. Individuals should take the necessary precautions to ensure their personal safety.
Whenever the National Weather Service issues a tornado or severe thunderstorm warning, people in the path of the storm should take immediate life-saving actions. Designated tornado shelters are open for the duration of a tornado watch and warning.
Personal safety should dictate the actions that students and employees take.
- Classes will remain in session until the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for the campus. When a tornado warning is issued, all University activities are automatically suspended, including all classes and laboratories.
- Please move immediately to the campus storm shelter or a best available refuge area and remain there until the tornado warning has expired.
- Classes in session when the tornado warning is issued can resume immediately after the warning has expired at the discretion of the instructor.
- Classes that have not yet begun will resume 30 minutes after the tornado warning has expired provided at least half of the class period remains
- Faculty members should encourage students in your classroom to follow these procedures by remaining in the building and going with them to a shelter or best available refuge area
- During a tornado warning, Crimson Ride will immediately suspend operations, and the driver will direct passengers to shelter in select buildings.
Remember, when severe weather strikes and you receive a UA Alert:
- Go to the nearest shelter or best available refuge area.
- Stay tuned to radio or television stations for further weather statements.
- Remain inside until the severe weather threat has ended. UA will send an all clear when the weather watch or warning is canceled or is allowed to expire by the National Weather Service.
If a tornado warning is issued for the campus, students, employees and visitors will be notified using some of the methods listed below. If you receive notification of a tornado warning through any of these methods, move to safety immediately.
UA can issue emergency notifications using the following methods:
- UA Alerts
- Campus Indoor and Outdoor PA system, located in most academic buildings and residence halls
- Emails sent to UA.edu and Crimson.UA.edu email addresses
- Social media, including Instagram, Facebook and X
- Media alerts through TV, radio stations, and newspapers
- UA Alerts and Emergency Information website
- UA Home page
- Digital signage across campus
- Notifications on VoIP phones
- Desktop notifications on computers running the Alertus Software that are connected to the UA network.
- Emergency Alert System (EAS)
- Crimson Ride bus marquees
- UA Safety app
- 92.5 FM UA Info Radio
In case of a severe weather event, communications will be sent to the phone numbers and email addresses that are listed in the students’ and employees’ myBama settings. Click the links below for instructions on how to update your contact information.