In preparation for Hurricane Irma, a major storm expected to hit late Saturday night, UF’s Housing and Residence Education has created a plan to keep residents safe.
A hurricane warning was issued Saturday morning for Gainesville and UF canceled classes until Tuesday, according to UF Public Safety. Gov. Rick Scott released a statement Thursday night ordering all schools, state colleges and state universities to close Friday through Monday.
Despite most student services being down, housing and residence staff are expected to report to work at regular hours, according to a Thursday night statement from UF Public Safety.
Residents’ families can stay in the dorms if necessary, said Todd Morrone, the associate director of housing for public and governmental relations.
“In 2004, we were faced with severe hurricanes and we allowed our residents’ families who evacuated their homes to stay in the dormsas well,” Morrone said.
As of Wednesday, Mayor Lauren Poe declared a state of emergency for Gainesville, according to Alligator archives.
Calvin Mosley, the director of university housing residence life, wrote in a Wednesday email to residents that food would not be a concern. Mosley said students should get their own food supply for three days.
“Housing units not having food service facilities will be provided food if the emergency period extends beyond 24 hours,” he said.
For Raniya Martin-Davis, a 17-year-old UF health science freshman, it was easy to feel the urgency in local stores as everyone scrambled for goods but found empty shelves. Being originally from New Jersey, Martin-Davis said the hurricane was a complete shock for her and her family.
“My RA and housing staff at Broward Hall are easing my nerves and reassuring me that I will be safe,” she said. “I feel everything will be okay, and I’ve bought enough food and water for the days to come.”
To further secure the safety of residents, UF Housing released a list of specific safety instructions.
The Steinbrenner Band Hall has been designated as the on-campus shelter for all students, faculty and staff. Doors will open at 10 a.m. on Sunday, and people can get entry with a Gator 1 Card. Families are permitted, but students must be with their family at all times. The Southwest Recreation Center will also be open for the UF community and the general population the same day.
A UF alumnus, Pablo Campo, fled his home in Tampa as the storm traveled west to stay at the on-campus shelter. Campo was initially heading to Alabama, but he said running out of gas midway was a concern and Gainesville was his best option.
“With the storm shifting westward, I figured I wasn’t safe in my small apartment especially since my parking lot floods even with the smallest of rains,” the 25-year-old said. “I didn’t know which way to run, but when I heard UF was opening the shelter, I was incredibly relieved.”
With previous hurricanes UF has experienced, like Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Reitz Union was used as a hurricane shelter.
Morrone said housing staff will be in constant communication with UF Emergency Management officials to closely monitor the storm.
“We will release any further information in a timely manner with our community,” he said, “The safety of our residents is our priority.”
