Tropical Storm Sally

Submitted by rchoorma on

Tropical Depression 19 has strengthened and is now Tropical Storm Sally. The storm is expected to continue to intensify and may become a low-level hurricane before it makes landfall on Tuesday. There remains a great deal of uncertainty about the track the storm will take, but the New Orleans area is now under a hurricane watch, which means it is possible that we could be impacted by heavy rain and strong winds.  

Monitoring Tropical Depression 19

Submitted by rchoorma on
We are closely monitoring Tropical Depression 19 with our weather partners. It is currently east of Florida and is expected to pass over the Florida Peninsula on Saturday. Once it re-enters the Gulf of Mexico, it is likely to become a tropical storm; however at this point, the storm is not expected to become a hurricane. Possible impacts to our area could include heavy rain, which could produce flooding. Please stay aware over the weekend. We will advise if we anticipate any changes to university operations as a result of this system.

Resuming Normal Operations

Submitted by rchoorma on
Hurricane Laura is now forecast to hit near the Texas and Louisiana border. We pray hard for those communities, and for all of you whose families live there. Campus is open as of today, with classes still virtual. We plan to be fully open and teach on campus beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, and going forward. (With the exception of the College of Law - students, faculty and staff there should look for direction from the dean's office.) We may well have weather from the outskirts of the storm on Thursday, but right now conditions should not require the closure of campus.

Update on Campus Operations

Submitted by rchoorma on

As Hurricane Marco moves through and Hurricane Laura approaches, we are writing with an update on operations for Tuesday, August 25, for you to continue to stay safe and engaged.  Operations will continue to be evaluated for Thursday and a separate communication will be sent to address those days.  Please continue to monitor the university website and local weather outlets. 

An Update on the Rest of This Week

Submitted by rchoorma on
For those of you new to the experience of hurricanes, it is often true that anxious preparation is followed by nothing more than a windy day. But what used to feel anticlimactic to me as a kid now registers as utter relief. Remember that we never regret making those necessary preparations. We never let our guard down, particularly this year when the world keeps throwing things at us. Tomorrow, Tuesday, campus operations will reopen.

An Update on Marco and Laura

Submitted by rchoorma on
We receive detailed meteorological information specific to our campus, which gives us comfort about this week. Marco is expected to make landfall south of New Orleans tomorrow afternoon, as a Category 1 hurricane that will quickly deteriorate to a tropical storm. We expect to see occasional gusts of strong wind and some rain starting tonight through Monday. Accordingly, unless we have power outages that get in the way, we will teach courses virtually on Monday and stay inside.

Tropical Weather Update

Submitted by rchoorma on

The latest forecast from the National Weather Service has shifted the track of Tropical Storm Marco further east. It is now predicted to make landfall in southeast Louisiana by noon on Monday as a strong, but small tropical storm. This puts it ahead of any potential impacts from Tropical Storm Laura, which is now forecast to hit Wednesday. We are in for a long week and the time to prepare is right now.

Subscribe to