Courtesy of the National Hurricane Center
By Sofía García Vargas
As Hurricane Ian continues to pose a significant threat to the Tampa Bay region, the University of South Florida has canceled all classes and closed the three campuses until Monday, Oct. 3.
Additionally, residential students at the St. Petersburg campus were evacuated yesterday and relocated to the Tampa campus.
According to Fox 13 News, the hurricane is supposed to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday evening with wind speeds up to 125 mph.
State and county officials have advised residents living in high risk flood zones areas to evacuate as soon as possible, as “this storm is the real deal” according to meteorologist Denis Phillips.
Effects from the storm will impact the Tampa Bay area through early Friday, with rainfall predictions of 3.2 inches on Wednesday, 2.6 inches on Thursday and one inch on Friday.
USF has urged students, faculty and staff to plan accordingly and to follow the USF Hurricane Guide for further instructions.
Businesses across the region are taking action to prepare for the hurricane.
Today, Publix announced that it will close many of its stores at 6 p.m. tonight through Thursday. To check the status of your nearest Publix, go here.
Different resources across Pinellas County and the Tampa Bay are also available for all residents:
- Evacuation shelters: Find state-approved evacuation shelters in Pinellas County here and in Hillsborough County here.
- Free self-storage: U-Haul is offering 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box container usage at 43 Florida facilities to residents who might be impacted by Hurricane Ian. Locations include:
- 4001 E. Lake Ave., Tampa.
- 9505 N. Florida Ave., Tampa.
- 3826 W. Marcum St., Tampa.
- 975 2nd Ave. S., St. Petersburg.
- 4015 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park.
- Free Uber rides: Uber is offering free round-trip rides, up to $30 each way, to and from state-approved evacuation shelters. To use this promotion enter code IANRELIEF at checkout.
To stay up to date on the latest Hurricane Ian coverage, visit WUSF and make sure to check USF updates via usf.edu, USF’s official social media channels, MyUSF and email.
