KANSAS CITY, Mo. — What is your plan for severe weather? Do you have a safe spot to hunker down or a game-plan in place? One metro community college system is opening its doors to the public, in the event of a tornado.
The Campus Center the Metropolitan Community College Penn Valley campus is open to students throughout the year, with classrooms and conference rooms, but when a tornado strikes the building becomes much more.
Students had their pencils in hand, calculators out, and eyes pointed at the teacher Thursday afternoon in a math class in the Campus Center at MCC Penn Valley. The president of that campus, Joe Seabrooks, Ph.D., said the walls of this classroom provide more than a learning environment.
“This particular facility was designed to withstand winds and debris up to 250 miles per hour. I feel that I am in the safest place in Kansas City,” he said.
The school matched funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 2008 to build storm shelters at each of its six campuses. The one at MCC Penn Valley holds up to 2,500 students. The campus has more than 5,000 students enrolled, but school administrators say they aren’t all on campus at the same time, so the shelter should be able to hold everyone who needs safety.
“We exist to prepare students to serve the community and create opportunities. This facility that we’re standing in is a manifestation of that mission to serve the community,” Seabrooks continued.
He also explained the shelter is open to the public. He said FEMA mandates a five-minute warning, but said the school takes precautions and could call for a shelter-in-place earlier, which would allow people more time to get to the shelter. The last time the school used a shelter-in-place was about a year and a half ago.It’s open during normal operating business hours.
“It’s available to the public if you’re able to get here in the window of time. Our neighbors, and our business partners could see us a viable option to be safe,” Seabrooks said.
The shelter has concrete ceilings, windows that are protected by retractable barriers, and a protected generator that will keep the lights on. There are also bathrooms available.
Browne`s Irish Marketplace is just up the street on Pennsylvania Avenue. Owner Kerry Browne said the building was built in 1901, so the staff and customers can seek shelter in a stone basement, but she’s thrilled to know there is another option nearby.
“It’s great to know there’s something so close, especially if we had a store full of customers. We’ve been in that situation before where we know something’s coming, what do we do? Great to know there’s something that close, we could run over and get everybody to safety,” said Browne.
Browne reflected on a time when storms passed through the Kansas City area.
“We’ve had a time when all the customers and a bunch of our suppliers were in the basement a few years ago when that really big storm hit. A couple people had their bike helmets, or even stainless steel bowls on their head in the basement.”
Browne has taught her son the dangers of tornadoes and what to do if a storm hits.
“Go in the basement and duck and cover just in case there was a tornado,” eight-year-old Rory Browne McClain said. He also said he doesn’t like tornadoes because “they take away a lot of stuff that people build.”
Click here to learn more about Metropolitan Community College and its Penn Valley Campus.
Click here to read advice from FEMA about what to do when a tornado strikes.
Click here to visit Megan Dillard’s Facebook page.
