Operational Impact of Potentially Severe Afternoon Weather

March 17, 2021

TO:All UMMC Faculty, Staff and Students

FROM:Dr. Jonathan Wilson, Chief Administrative Officer

SUBJECT: Operational Impact of Potentially Severe Afternoon Weather

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center has announced that dangerous weather projected to impact much of the state, including conditions that could produce tornadoes, is a Particularly Dangerous Situation, which is used only for weather systems predicted to be at the highest severity level.

The image below was posted by the NWS office in Jackson shortly before noon and shows the anticipated effect this system could have on central Mississippi. While not as severe as the prediction for central Mississippi, other areas of the state are also under threat of potentially dangerous weather. The NWS website can be found here.

With the threat of potentially dangerous weather highest in the late afternoon, Medical Center leadership has determined that students and those employees in roles that allow for flexibility in scheduling should leave campus no later than 4 p.m. if they are able to do so. Employees should consult with their respective supervisors before leaving work. Any employee who has a long commute home should discuss with his or her supervisor the operational feasibility to leave work earlier than 4 p.m. 

Supervisors should communicate with their employees scheduled to arrive after 4 p.m. for their shifts to make sure employees are aware of the pending severe weather and may need to make arrangement to arrive for a shift earlier than scheduled. Employees should use caution when heading to work or leaving campus and should stay aware of changing weather predictions through the NWS website or local news reports.

Any employee or student who does not want to drive home and would prefer to wait until the threat of dangerous weather has ended may stay in the Rowland Medical Library on the first floor of the Verner Holmes Learning Resources Center or the School of Nursing auditorium, room A102. A UMMC ID badge is required to enter these locations. These locations are also available to employees who arrive early for their shift.

Please stay safe on the roads. Additional communication about the potential impact of this weather system on Medical Center operations will be sent via email as needed. Any immediate threat to the main UMMC campus by an actual tornado will be announced via the AlertU text alert system. 

Severe Weather Response information, including notification and response protocol, listed in the UMMC Emergency Operations Plan can be found here.

Thank you.