In Spring 2007, University students panicked when tornado sirens sounded off during finals week. Due to recent weather conditions, some experts are wondering if the sirens will sound off again this year. Between Feb. 10 and 11, nine tornadoes hit Oklahoma and Missouri, including one in Lone Grove, Okla., which killed eight people. These tornadoes, which were the first of 2009, were unusual because they happened during the winter. Instructor Todd Albert, who has taught many sections of GEOG 125, Weather and Climate, said the air pressure systems this year are similar to that of 2007. The low-pressure systems sweeping from Canada and the moisture in the Gulf of Mexico make perfect conditions for a tornado, he said. ‘Tornadoes can occur anywhere and at any time, although they are most likely in the late spring while Canada is still cool and the Gulf of Mexico is nice and warm,’ he said. ‘The mixing of air from these two places spawns many tornadoes over the U.S.’ Tornadoes have occurred in every state in the United States, and on every continent except for Antarctica. Even though they can appear anywhere, the most likely place for a tornado to occur is between the Rocky and the Appalachian Mountains, which has been named ‘Tornado Alley.’ Ohio is susceptible to tornadoes due to the fact that it is right in the middle of the Alley and has numerous plains, Albert said. Koen van Bommel, an international student at the University, said he wouldn’t know what to do if the tornado sirens were to sound off. In his home country of the Netherlands, there aren’t any tornadoes, he said. ‘I’d probably just get underground, grab some food or something,’ van Bommel said. In the case of a tornado in Bowling Green, students should go quickly to a tornado shelter area – the lowest point in the building – and stay clear of doors and windows, according to the University’s tornado policy. Junior Ryan Glover said he spent his tornado scare in 2007 at Campus Polleyes and in the basement of a church on Thurstin Avenue. This year he has a different plan. ‘If there is another tornado this year, I’m going to chase it,’ Glover said. Whether Bowling Green will see a repeat of the 2007 tornado that hit during finals week, Albert said it’s too early to tell. ‘The timing was unfortunate, but tornadoes don’t look at calendars,’ he said.