1. Before Emergency
  2. Hurricane Preparedness
  3. Evacuation Information for Tropical Weather

Evacuation Information for Tropical Weather

Personal Evacuation

Students may need to enact their personal evacuation plans before the university or city calls for an evacuation to ensure a safe and timelier departure from the city. The enacted plan does NOT need to be the plan reported through the student’s LORA account or on the student’s check-in paperwork; however, details of the actual plan should be communicated with Residential Life.

Students choosing or needing to evacuate early should actively communicate with their professors about their travel and continue to check all necessary modes of communication, as well as keep up with classroom activity on Canvas, to ensure all assignments are completed as required by the specific professor and/or Provost.

University Evacuation

The University President, in consultation with the Emergency Management Team, may call for a university evacuation based on the severity of the storm and projected impact of the tropical weather on the city of New Orleans. Each storm is unique and the university must consider the characteristics of each storm individually before making decisions about how to proceed. However, the EMT has determined the following should generally be anticipated:

Tropical Storm: Anticipate a call for Shelter in Place.
Category 1 & 2: Anticipate a call for Shelter in Place.
Category 3: Anticipate a call for Evacuation.

NOTE: If a storm is approaching the area and is anticipated to enter through the mouth of the Mississippi River and/or the city is anticipated to be on the east side of the storm, the university may be inclined to call for an evacuation.

If the university determines there is a need for evacuation, all staff and students are required to vacate the university property and enact their personal evacuation plans. The enacted plan does NOT need to be the plan reported through the student’s LORA account or on the student’s check-in paperwork; however, details of the actual plan should be communicated with Residential Life.

If a student is unable to evacuate on their own, the university has secured a number of locations in neighboring states as potential options for a limited number of students and staff. This option will only be available to international/exchange students as accommodations will be very limited. Students will be transported to and from the evacuation location by bus and are required to remain with Residential Life for the duration of the evacuation period. The location will be selected based on the projected path of the storm to ensure the best liklihood of avoiding inclement weather. Information regarding participation in an evacuation to the selected location will be provided to students who are approved.

Returning to Campus

Residence halls will re-open 24 hours before classes resume (For example: If classes resume at 8 a.m. on Monday, residence halls will re-open at 8 a.m. on Sunday). All students are expected to maintain the hurricane behavioral expectations until classes have resumed.

Only students who remain on campus during Shelter in Place will be permitted to remain in their residence hall rooms — and in certain severe weather conditions may be relocated to Monroe Hall for emergency accommodations. Students who enact their personal evacuation plans before/during Shelter in Place will not be permitted to return to campus until that time. Students choosing to return to campus early will be asked to find off-campus housing while staff prepare the residence halls for re-opening.

In the event that the university is unable to return to normal operations after a storm, the university leadership team will relocate to a remote continuity of operations site. In such an event, students should look to the Loyola University Website, email, text and social media for information on how to proceed with their academic requirements and on when they will be permitted to retrieve items from their residence.

Make sure your contact information is up-to-date so that you receive all Emergency Communications.

Beneficial Websites

Below are resources for preparing and enacting evacuation plans:

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

Amtrak

  • Address 1001 Loyola Avenue (New Orleans, LA 70113)
  • Distance 4.4 Miles
  • Information Routes, schedules, prices, booking, etc.

Greyhound

  • Address 1001 Loyola Avenue (New Orleans, LA 70113)
  • Distance 4.4 Miles
  • Information Routes, schedules, prices, booking, etc.

RTA Buses & Streetcars

  • Address Closest stop at Freret St. and Broadway St.
  • Distance 0.6 Miles
  • Information Routes, schedules, fares, etc.

Rental Cars

New Orleans Highways

  • Information Quick viewing of the New Orleans highway system
  • Related Information
    • Should the city call for an evacuation, contraflow may be implemented. At this point, inbound lanes to the city on major roads and highway systems will be shut down and reopened as outbound lanes to account for heavy traffic flow.
  • Related Links