Here is a listing of various buildings on campus and areas that are the safest to be in if a tornado strikes. Note, no building is ever 100% safe in a tornado, and some buildings are much safer than others. These only represent the safest parts of each building to be in should a tornado strike. In houses such as Odekirk House, etc., the basement under something solid such as a bench or sturdy table or staircase is the best location to be in. If these areas fill up, use adjacent hallways that are away from windows.


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Academic Advising Center:

south/southwest end of the basement.

Stay away from utility room on basement southeast side

 

Adams Hall:

Men?s room, hallway lower level

Stay away from 5000 volt electrical room

 

Altgeld Hall:

Men's washroom, first floor, room 104

Handicapped ramp, east side of main entrance (surrounded by walls)

North NIU Art Museum, rooms 110 A and B

Hallway, first floor: In front of men's washroom, room 104; and in front of women's washroom, room 126. In other words, either side of main entrance, but away from the main entrance

 

Anderson Hall:

Men?s Bathrooms (Rms 103, 124)

Women?s Bathrooms (Rms 107, 120, 129)

 

Barsema Hall:

Men's washroom adjacent to rooms 119 and 127

Women's washroom adjacent to rooms 104 and 132

All classrooms/labs on 1st floor: Rooms 104, 110, 111, 113, 119, 127, 131, 132, 133, 140

Hallway between rooms 104 and 110

Hallway between rooms 111 and 119

 

Barsema Alumni and Visitor's Center:

Go to the basement. Fill up men's/women's washroom first, then fill up basement AWAY from north-facing windows.

 

Campus Life Building

1st Floor Vending Machine Lounge Area, under tables

 

Campus Parking:

Inner hallway bathroom and storeroom

 

Campus Police/Telecommunications:

Men?s/Women?s Bathrooms

B-06, B-07, lower level

 

Center for Black Studies:

Men?s/Women?s Bathrooms inner washroom on west side

 

Center For The Study Of Family Violence And Sexual Assault:

Go to the basement; men's and women's bathrooms should be filled first, followed by interior rooms.

 

Chick Evans Fieldhouse:

Head to Gable Hall lower level and their hallways; see listing for Gable for full details.

Convocation Center:

Main concourse north lobby women's restroom

All bathrooms labelled "family restrooms"

Stairwell 3-lower level

6 auxiliary locker rooms (Rooms 190, A-E)

East-west interior hallway outside of rooms 190 A-E

Room 138-reception room

Room 135-police holding room

Hallways outside rooms 133-135

Room 134-break room

Locker rooms 140, 145

Room 149-emergency assistance room

Room 180-equipment issue room

North-south interior hallway

Room 165-men's locker room

Room 155-women's locker room

Room 170 A-J: training room including offices

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Cole Hall:

Go to the lower level, men's/women's bathrooms (rooms 21 and 23), and hallways outside those two bathrooms.

 

Davis Hall:

Lower level, all hallways and bathrooms not adjacent to furnace room or outside exit

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Dorland Builiding

Lower level Men?s/Women?s interior bathrooms
 

Dorland Building/Transportation:

Inner Women?s Bathroom

Service Pit ? with at least one more beam over it
 

Douglas Hall:

A and B wings, floors 2 through 5: Use inner stairwells to reach the basement. Fill up hallways, laundry rooms, bathrooms and the computer lab. First floor residents: stay on your floor and go to the bathrooms and inner hallways. Stay away from windows.

C and D wings, floors 2 through 5: Use inner stairwells to reach the basement. Fill up hallways, laundry rooms, bathrooms and lower lounge. First floor residents: stay on your floor and go to the bathrooms and inner hallways. Stay away from windows.

 

DuSable:

200, 300 & 400 levels

Go to 100 level classrooms and hallways. Stay against walls if possible. Stay away from windows on east side. Use windowless stairways if full; if all of 100 level is full, use 200 level interior classrooms only

 

East Heating Plant:

Under stairs by offices, handicap bathroom first floor

 

Engineering Building:

Cad Lab (Room 125) under desks

Room 101, Auditorium, under the stairs by Room 101A

Men's/women's bathrooms, next to room 105F, lower level
 
 

Faraday East:

Men?s/Women?s Bathrooms, first floor

Inner hallways away from windows

 

Faraday West:

Stairways leading to mechanical rooms, lower level

Men?s/Women?s Bathrooms, first floor

 

Founders Library Lower Level:

Inner Stairways

Men?s/Women?s Washrooms under escalators

South hallway next to escalators

Acquisitions Hallway; Hallway to right of staff hallway

Acquisitions under table away from window

 

Gabel Hall:

Men?s Pool Locker Room - 118

Women's Pool Locker Room - 118

Faculty Women's? Bathroom - 11

Faculty Men?s Bathroom - 12

Men?s and Women Bathrooms- 123/125 (121/121A on door)

Child Care Bathroom ? 165

Hallways against lockers, away from windows

Child Care Center ? under desks

Learning Center ? under desks, away from windows

 

Gilbert Hall

Vending machine room

Men?s/Women?s Bathroom

Hallway to the left of bathroom ? below east entrance

 

Graham Hall:

Hall outside Graham computer lab (outside rooms 140-142)

Graham Lounge, Room 133

Men?s/Women?s Bathrooms ? Rms 126,128

Hallway in front of Physical Education and Therapy

 

Grant North towers:

Use main stairwells and head to the basement. Fill up lower hallways, laundry rooms, and lounge area.

 

Grant South towers:

Use main stairwells and fill up lower hallways and laundry rooms. If hallways and laundry rooms are full, please go to the Grant North lounge.
 

Grounds:

Go to Huskie Stadium

 

Holmes Student Center:

Basement next to S.W.A.N. office, anywhere away from outside doors and windoows.

 

Human Resources:

Room 100 in center of building. If time, head to Stevenson Towers basement.

 

Huskie Stadium:

West building, lower level concourse areas away from exposed areas. Start with interior hallways on lowest level and work your way up, depending on the amount of people.

 

IASBO (I.A. Building):

Go to basement, stay away from windows and get under tables. Alternate: Men's women's bathrooms, rooms 120 and 121

 

Lincoln Hall:

A and B wings, floors 2 through 5: Use inner stairwells to reach basement. Fill up hallways, laundry rooms, bathrooms and lower lounge. First floor residents: stay on your floor and go to the bathrooms and inner hallways. Stay away from windows.

C and D wings, floors 2 through 5: Use inner stairwells to reach basement. Fill up hallways, laundry rooms, bathrooms and computer lab. First floor residents: stay on your floor and go to the bathrooms and inner hallways. Stay away from windows.

 

Lowden Hall:

Men?s/Women?s Bathrooms, Room 104 B & C,

Staff Lounge ? under tables and away from door and non-see thru window

Next to stairs across from 104B

 

Math/Psych Building:

Women?s Bathrooms 6

Men?s Bathrooms 26

Acs Lab Room 51, 53

Hallway to left of elevator in front of rooms 26-34

 

McMurray Hall:

Bathrooms

Rooms 121, 135

 

Monsanto Building:

Speech and Hearing Clinic: Stay in interior rooms, except those with one-way glass.

Rooms: 1162-1163A, 1152-1159

Washrooms: 1145, 1147

Interior hallways outside rooms 1216-1226, 1242-1243 and 1219, 1245-1254, 1106-1133, 1140-1144, 1145-1168

Tri-County Health Department:

Rooms 1030, 1031, 1032, 1033 are best

Rooms 1033, 1034 and washrooms are good

Physical Therapy Clinic:

Room 1305, and hallway outside it. Close doors in this hallway after rooms are empty

LW Building:

The small men's women's bathrooms, and room 150...but stay away from outside doors

University Press:

Best: Men's and women's washroom

Good: Storage next to room 186

 

Montgomery Hall:

Men?s/Women?s Bathrooms 102, 100

Hallway in front of Rm 100 and all areas away from windows

Music Building:

Men?s Room 115, 149, 166

Women?s Room 145, 164

Hallway to Room 154

Music Library: go to interior hallways with no windows

 

Neptune Central:

Laundry rooms and bathrooms (men's and women's are both good). Trident lounge is also OK.

 

Neptune - East and West:

Floors 2, 3, & 4 - go to first floor bathrooms and inner hallways (first floor will be opened by residents). First floor residents: go to hallways and bathrooms. Use Neptune Central for overflow.

 

Neptune North:

Neptune North EVEN: Use the main or far east stairs (near laundry room) to get to the basement. Fill up hallways and the art gallery, but stay away from the windows in the art gallery.

Neptune North ODD: Use the far west stairs, and head into the tunnel connecting Neptune North and Central. Use Neptune Central's Trident Lounge if the tunnel is full.

 

Northern Broadcast Center (WNIU, etc):

Control Room A

Men?s/Women?s Bathroom

 

NIU Connect (formerly John Deere building):

Head to washrooms on east side of building or huddle under desks IF there is no time. If there is more than 5 minutes of warning time, head to the Convocation Center or even better, Stevenson residence halls.

 

Northern View Apartments:

First floor residents: go to the bathroom, jump in the bathtub and put a mattress over your head. Second and third floor: Go under the stairwell on the first floor; if possible, if you know someone on the first floor, knock on the door and ask to use their bathtub/mattress for shelter.

 

Nursing:

Tornado Centers designated. Bathrooms and center hallway (140 area)

 

Parking Garage:

Go to Davis Hall or Founders Library

 

Physical Plant:

Men?s Room in front of carpenter shop

 

Reavis Hall

Go to 100 level hallways (112-123)

 

Rec Center:

Men?s/Women?s Locker Rooms ? under benches, against lockers, in showers

 

Social Science Research Institute:

Hallway, lower level, past the lounge and before lower level classroom

Overflow: go to lounge

1st floor: kitchen/lounge

 

Speech and Hearing Clinic:

If possible, head to the Health Services building basement IF there is time to get there. If not, the interior soundproof booths should be utilized.

 

Stevenson North towers:

Please use the lobby stairs to access the basement. Fill up lower hallways, laundry rooms, and lower lounge.

 

Stevenson South towers:

Go to the basement. Fill up the computer lab, hallways, loading dock area, and dining locker rooms.
 

Stevens Building (annex go to Stevens Building):

Bathrooms across from Anthropology office; hallway to the right of room 113; men's/women's bathroom located there as well.

 

Still Gym:

Stairway next to 101-1

Cubby in front of welding Technology

Men?s Bathroom ? Room 208 (Not Womens)

Cubby behind Room 102

 

Still Hall

Lower Level:

Women?s Bathroom, Lounge, Hallway in front of lockers

 

Swen Parson:

Women?s/Men?s Bathrooms (Rms. 143, 145)

Hallway between 155 & 168

Men?s Bathroom, Rm 168

Women?s Bathroom, Rm 169

Hallway between 169 7 172

Women?s/Men?s Bathroom 183 & 185

Room 120: Go to Rooms 10 & 12 under desks

Rooms 131,132, 134, 135 ? get under desks

Room 136 ? Most safe, get under table

 

Terrwilliger/Montgomery Auditorium:

Men?s Bathroom 228

Women?s Bathroom 230

Stairways leading to 2nd floor

 

University Health Services:

Men?s/Women?s Bathrooms

Rooms 3 & 7, 19 & 21

Hallway in front of restrooms

 

University Resources for Women:

Basement, away from windows

 

Visual Arts Building:

Hallway in front of Room 107

Ceramics stairway by Room 114

Men?s & Women?s Bathroom (men?s safer)

100 Room Auditoriums: If no space, use these and get under tables

 

Watson Hall

Go to 100 level hallways (112-123)

 

Williston Hall:

Lower level, maintenance hallway

 

Wirtz:

Across from 116D-E and in adjacent hallways

 

NSONLINE:

Under tables if you cannot get downstairs to WNIU/WNIJ designated safe areas

 

WNIU/WNIJ/NIRIS:

Newsroom/WNIU/WNIJ

Control Rooms;

Staff Lounge

Men?s/Women?s Bathroom

 

Yordon Center:

Men's Locker Room and bathrooms within locker room

Student Athlete Support Services (the rooms, and the inner hallway are both acceptable)

Women's and Men's washrooms, lower level

Coaches local room is normally locked, but if open, can also be used

 

Zulauf:

Basement and basement stairway. When full use 1st floor hallway.