Classes will be canceled through at least Sept. 3, while the residence halls will remain open.
The storm’s worst impacts for the Gulf Coast are forecast between late Tuesday and early Wednesday. Courtesy of the National Hurricane Center.
By Katlynn Mullins and Savannah Carr
The University of South Florida will close its Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee campuses at 10 p.m. Saturday ahead of Hurricane Dorian.
The residence halls will remain open, but classes will be canceled through “at least Tuesday, Sept. 3,” the university said in a news release Friday.
“A voluntary busing service will be offered on Saturday afternoon for USFSP residential students who prefer to stay in a facility at USF Tampa,” the release said. “USFSP Housing staff will provide a separate message to residential students with additional information about this option.”
An update regarding class schedules will be issued Sunday on the university website, social media and student emails.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Dorian is a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. It’s expected to make landfall on the east coast of Florida, near Vero Beach, early next week as a Category 4 hurricane.
Its worst impacts for the Gulf Coast are forecast for late Tuesday or early Wednesday, according to the NHC.
The NHC’s biggest concern is Dorian’s slow movement — 9 mph, as of 5 p.m. Friday — as it approaches the state. It could leave areas more susceptible to an “increasing risk of a prolonged, drawn-out event of strong winds, dangerous storm surge and heavy rainfall.”
Students both on and off campus are advised to prepare for the storm by gathering necessary supplies, such as:
- Water
- Batteries
- Medicines
- Non-perishable food
- A first-aid kit
According to USF’s hurricane guide, in the event that residents are evacuated, students should bring clothes, toiletries, medication, valuables and important documents, cash, laptops, textbooks and their phones with chargers.
USF will activate a call center from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday to answer questions. Staff, faculty and parents can call (866) 801-6905 with any questions.
