To prepare for a possible local emergency, Penn State officials have met multiple times since Hurricane Katrina with emergency plans on the agenda.

At these meetings, Penn State has analyzed its preparedness for three different types of disasters: technological, man-made and natural, said Penn State Emergency Management Coordinator Stephen Abrams.

Abrams said Penn State is working on an "all hazards" approach when creating disaster scenarios. They decide what events are of the highest probability and the best way to bring back order to the area. "I'm not saying terrorism can't happen in State College, but weather is really a more likely local hazard," Abrams said.

Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said not all weather is considered a threat to the area, and different types of storms are given different levels of attention. "In central Pennsylvania, we're not in any danger of hurricanes, and tornadoes are very rare," he said. "We really have to worry about three feet of snow blanketing the campus in a matter of days."

Mahon said the university is prepared for such an emergency, noting weeks' worth of food, water and electricity available on campus.

"Thanks to an on-campus power plant and weeks and weeks of food, we have a lot of leeway most places nearby don't," Mahon said. "Blackouts aren't so much a threat to the university."

Mahon cautioned students, both on and off-campus residents, from depending solely on the university for aid. He said that not all emergencies can be planned for, and all students should be able to take care of themselves for at least a couple of days. "In [a 1988] snowstorm, I was stuck in my home for three days before the trucks reached the parking lot," Mahon said.

Centre County Emergency Management Coordinator Randy Rockey offered the same advice to State College residents and said all residents need a place in their house to store items in case of a blizzard.

Necessary items include bottled water and non-perishable food, as well as flashlights, batteries and something to keep warm.

A crippling blizzard would not be surprising in State College, but other disasters are not as predictable.

"We've discussed a lot of table-top scenarios, but a disaster is, by definition, unexpected. An entire city has disappeared off the face of the planet. You can't plan for that," Mahon said.

Rockey said the worst-case scenario would be a disaster at Beaver Stadium.

"We're working on finding a way to prepare for such a tragedy," he said.

Abrams said a disaster of that size would be crippling anywhere, but Penn State is better prepared than surrounding areas. "It's easier to control one organization under one authority than many organizations over a wide area," he said. "In this line of work, nothing sits still ever. This is a golden opportunity for us to really re-evaluate our emergency plans."

Tysen Kendig, Penn State spokesman, said there have been no radical changes to the security of campus and Beaver Stadium. He said security is always a concern, but recent discussions have not focused on terrorism.

"Weather-related problems would be more likely to impact us in any given year, but we have to be prepared for any scenarios," Kendig said.