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Emergency Management

Severe Weather

The Upstate region of South Carolina experiences a wide variety of weather patterns, some of which can be sudden and severe. In the event of severe weather, one of our goals is to send notifications with adequate time for our population to take protective actions. To help accomplish that goal, Clemson University subscribes to AccuWeather’s SkyGuard warning system as an additional layer of safety to supplement the National Weather Service’s forecasts and provide advance notice for dangerous weather.

Severe Weather Alerts

Watch

  • Be Prepared!
  • Conditions are favorable for the development of severe weather in the area.
  • Closely monitor the weather for changes in case conditions deteriorate.

Warning

  • Take Action!
  • Severe weather is approaching or occurring in the area.
  • Warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property.

Hazards in Upstate South Carolina

Thunderstorms

  • Seek shelter immediately in a substantially constructed building.
  • Stay away from electrical appliances and plumbing.
  • If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning.

Winter Weather

  • Stay indoors and dress warmly.
  • Avoid being on the roads, if possible.
  • Look for signs of:
    • Hypothermia - shivering, drowsiness, confusion, memory loss, slurred speech, exhaustion or feeling very tired.
    • Frostbite - cold skin, numbness, skin discoloration, pain, blisters when thawed, or hardened skin.

Extreme Heat

  • Find air conditioning
  • Avoid strenuous activities
  • Wear light clothing
  • Drink plenty of fluids
  • Look for signs of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke

Flooding

  • Heavy rain can lead to flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas.
  • Turn Around; Don’t Drown. Never drive through flooded roadways.
  • Do not walk through moving water.
A tornado moves across an open field

Tornado

  • If you can get to a substantially constructed building safely, do so immediately.
  • Get to a safe room, basement or storm cellar.
    • If you are in a building with no basement, go to a small interior room on the lowest level.
  • Stay away from windows, doors and exterior walls.
  • Put as many walls between you and the outside as possible (this will often be an internal bathroom).
  • Take additional cover by shielding your head and neck with your arms and putting materials such as furniture and blankets around you.
  • If you are in a car or outdoors and cannot get to a building, cover your head and neck with your arms and cover your body with a coat or blanket, if possible.
  • Do not get under an overpass or bridge, you are safer in a low, flat area.
  • Do not try to outrun a tornado in your vehicle.