Almost 15 minutes after school ended April 26, emergency weather alerts flashed on staff and students’ phones and dark clouds blanketed the skies. The National Weather Service issued a county-wide tornado warning forcing staff and students across the county to take shelter.

For high schools, the alert only impacted people still in the building including faculty and students participating in extracurricular activities. After the emergency alert was issued, RHS administration made an announcement directing everyone in the building to seek shelter in the first floor technology and foreign language hallways and classrooms. Administration and security also stopped students outside the building and brought them inside.

Despite interrupting people’s commutes home for the weekend, teachers agreed with the decision to keep everyone in a safe environment.

“We all got caught in the building as this was rolling in, and mother nature is not something we want to mess with,” history teacher Adjua Adama said.