Watching Tropical Storm Erika

The following communication was sent out to the university community Aug. 27 from Ruben D. Almaguer, assistant vice president of Emergency Operations.

Editor’s note (8/28/2015 at 2 p.m.): As of Aug. 28, the university operations are proceeding as scheduled, including Saturday classes at all FIU locations. Please look for an announcement on Saturday regarding Sunday and Monday operations.

Dear FIU family:

As we enter the most active part of the hurricane season, South Florida is faced with the first possible storm event this year. Tropical Storm Erika is expected to become a hurricane later this week, as it approaches the Bahamas. We need to prepare for possible impacts from the storm on Sunday and a potential hurricane on Monday. At this time the university is operating normally.

Today is the day to prepare your personal disaster kit. One of the most important actions you can take during this time is to stay informed. Please monitor local news reports and look for email updates from the FIU Emergency Management team.

On Friday, a decision will be made regarding weekend classes. On Saturday, a decision will be made regarding Monday classes. Please be on the lookout for this critical information.

Especially if you are new to South Florida or to FIU, please take a moment to read this message carefully. As a member of the university community, you have a responsibility to familiarize yourself with FIU’s emergency procedures, including the emergency communication plan, and be an active participant in your own safety by staying alert to messages from university and local officials.

Students are urged to read our student FAQs and check out the hurricane preparedness video. 

FIU has a redundant emergency notification system known as FIU Alert. In the event of an emergency, FIU will disseminate updates through FIU email accounts, the FIU home page and social media (Facebook, facebook.com/floridainternational and Twitter, twitter.com/FIUnews). Please monitor these channels regularly.

On-campus residents will receive additional detailed information via email from the Housing and Residential Life team.

Faculty and staff should take a moment today to become familiar with your department’s Continuity of Operations Plan, including your office’s post-incident communication tree. Please order any supplies you might need to have on hand Friday to secure university property, such as plastic sheets to cover computer equipment.

Please take the following steps before you leave campus for the weekend:

• Back up all your data in case we lose power.
• Especially in ground floor offices, please guard against flood damage by raising any sensitive equipment off the floor.
• Cover all electronic equipment to protect it from any water leakage that may occur as a result of the storm.

As soon as possible after an emergency, you should establish contact with your colleagues and supervisor.

Being prepared and taking these simple steps will make for a safer hurricane season and quicker recovery, should a hazardous event affect the university community. The university has taken steps to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff. Please take this opportunity to do the same.

Thank you and please be on the lookout for further updates.

Sincerely,

Ruben D. Almaguer

Assistant Vice President, Emergency Operations.