Weather can be unpredictable so the standing rule is that the
shelters will be opened upon the issuance of a warning by the
National Weather Service, however, in some instances where the
threat of severe and damaging weather is predicted and is
imminent, the shelters will be opened in advance of the official
storm warnings
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The Shelters will stay open so long as there are current
warnings or incoming warnings issued by the National Weather
Service.
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You are not required to bring anything to the shelters, but
understandably you might find yourself in the shelter for several
hours, so items like blankets and pillows are acceptable items to
bring inside for your comfort and for the comfort of your children.
Note: You are responsible for your own property and the Van Buren
School District will not be held liable for the loss or damage of
your property.
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The school district is currently in the process of revising a set of
rules for shelter use. A complete set of guidelines will soon be
posted in each of the shelters upon completion. Should you find
yourself in a shelter due to weather before those rules are posted,
use common sense. The same rules that apply in any public setting
apply in the shelters as well.
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The Van Buren School District will begin assigning an on-site
supervisor that will assist the public with any questions and will
monitor the building while it is being occupied. The supervisor
will be a certified employee or certified official that is employed
by the Van Buren School District.
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Yes, there are water fountains available in each shelter.
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Yes, there are men and women’s restrooms in each shelter. Each
shelter and their restrooms are ADA compliant
& handicap
accessible.
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Butterfield Junior High and Van Buren High School shelters have a
maximum capacity of 700 people. Parkview, Rena, Tate and King
shelters have a maximum capacity of 500 people.
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Each shelter has been built to withstand wind speeds of up to 250mph
and impact from flying debris.
According to the NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric
Administration) EF4 tornados have wind speeds of 166-200mph while
EF5 tornados have wind speeds in excess of 200mph.
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There are currently 7 shelters:
A list of all locations with the addresses of each school is listed
on the VBPD Storm Shelters
page with a link to a map of all the locations.
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