Students advised on how to stay safe during windy months
It has been unusually windy lately, even for Mount Pleasant, which has prompted meteorology students and Central Michigan University Police to warn students about the dangers of wind damage.
“One of our biggest threats is straight line winds," said Nick Bogen, a Dowagiac sophomore studying meteorology. "If you live off campus and you have stuff that’s loose, like patio furniture, that can get chucked far away. On campus you may have a bike that if you don’t have it locked down can get blown away."
CMUPD issued a statement to the community last month with a link to the National Weather Service’s wind safety page.
The university has been a Storm Ready school since 2009 and has to renew their accreditation every three years. Last month, CMU was accredited for the next three years.
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“Storm Ready Accreditation is through the National Wether Service. It’s available for institutions, municipalities, any kind of governmental entity," said Lt. Cameron Wassman, CMU’s public information officer. "By going through that process, we show we are prepared for severe weather events. They require a variety of different things that have to be fulfilled in terms of warning capability and weather monitoring capability."
Bogen said that the biggest wind threats rise when winter approaches. Mount Pleasant broke a record last winter for the coldest recorded wind chill in 15 years.
He warns students to continue checking their social media for weather alerts. The National Weather Service posts weekly safety tips on their social media accounts every “Weather-Ready Wednesday”.
“Students need to keep an eye on the warnings that the National Weather Service posts and CMUPD posts on their Twitter account," Bogen said. "They put those posts out so the public knows that exposure to these elements will cause health problems like frostbite or a rash."
Students, especially those living in the dorms, may have long walks to and from class every day.
“CMU has canceled classes or delayed classes on occasion when wind chills are way down there. They’re fairly reluctant these days to do that,” Wassman said. “It is important that people dress appropriately and protect themselves when the winter winds come through. Mother Nature is a continual threat to us, so we always need to be prepared.”
As the sharps winds approach, Bogen said students should be prepared for another harsh winter walk to class.
“Classes may not get canceled, but it’s still a dangerous situation and you have to be smart enough to realize that you are putting yourself at risk if you don’t prepare yourself for that hike across campus,” Bogen said.
