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RT @WMNews: Update on Hurricane Irene from the @williamandmary Emergency Management Team -http://ow.ly/6cWBb #irene #hrweather #hurricane
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Hurricane Irene
| August 25, 2011The following are Hurricane Irene updates from the William & MaryEmergency Management Team. This page will continue to be updated as necessary.
3:40 p.m. August 25
Dear William & Mary community,
Dear William & Mary community,
I am writing to update you on the status of Hurricane Irene. The track of the storm shifted west and intensified overnight and now there is a high likelihood that the Williamsburg region will see significant rain, wind and, more important, loss of electric power starting Saturday and continuing over the weekend.
Therefore, the Emergency Management Team, in consultation with the President and Provost, has made the decision to reschedule Opening Convocation and cancel all campus events Friday through Monday. In addition, we will close residence halls as of 12-noon Friday and we are asking that all students implement their personal evacuation plans.
Student Evacuation Plans
As the storm gets closer, westbound traffic will intensify throughout the region so we are urging students to leave now if you can. Please contact your families and let them know where you will be staying while the residence halls are closed. As members of a close community, please reach out to each other and assist any classmate who may need help evacuating. Students who are having difficulty implementing their personal evacuation plans, should contact the Office of Residence Life (221-4314) or the Office of Student Affairs (221-1236). If you are an international student needing assistance contact the Reves Center (221-3594). Our staff are here to help. Once the residence halls are closed, the Sadler Center will remain open until 5 p.m. on Friday for students waiting to depart.
Openings and Closings
All classes will be canceled Friday through Monday. At this point we anticipate reopening the residence halls at 5 p.m. on Monday for Tuesday classes but this will depend on the impact of the storm.
Although classes are canceled on Friday the College will remain open until 5 p.m. and staff should report to work tomorrow as usual. Supervisors should work with employees to grant liberal leave as necessary based on personal circumstances. All essential personnel should report this weekend. Staff should report at noon on Monday unless notified otherwise over the weekend.
Dining services in the Sadler Center will remain open Friday until 10 a.m. The Commons Dining Hall (Caf) will remain open until 3 p.m. on Friday. Depending on the storm, we’re planning for the Commons to reopen at 11 a.m. on Monday and the Sadler Center will reopen at 4 p.m. on Monday.
The Provost will be following up with a message with additional instructions for faculty.
Postponing Opening Convocation and cancelling classes is difficult decision but one we feel is necessary to protect the health and safety of our community. Based current information from the National Weather Service, we fully anticipate extended power outages that can affect the campus. Any extended loss of power in campus facilities represents a security and safety issue. For students living on campus, in particular, we rely on electricity for door security, fire suppression and food service.
Over the weekend, all students, faculty and staff should continue to monitor the College’s website, campus email and local media for updates. We will also provide storm updates as warranted via the College’s mass notification system and through the W&M News Facebook and Twitter pages at www.facebook.com/wmnews andwww.twitter.com/WMNews.
Sam Jones
Vice President for Finance and Vice Chair of the William & Mary Emergency Management Team
11 a.m. August 24
This is the first report intended to keep you up-to-date on the progress of Hurricane Irene and the potential impact on our campus. The current forecast has the storm tracking further east than predicted yesterday avoiding a direct hit on our area. At this point it is anticipated that rain and wind will begin to pick up early Saturday.
We recommend that faculty/staff with offices on the third floors and basements take precautions (computers and other electrical equipment turned off; plastic sheet or trash bags over computers; electronic equipment not left on floors in basements). Everyone should be aware that there is the possibility of campus wide power outages and should exercise due diligence in protecting research or other important data.
The above information is truly precautionary at this point. The path and strength of the storm will continue to change over the next several days. The College’s Emergency Management Team will continue to monitor the storm’s progress and prepare the campus. Updates will be provided to you as warranted.
