FIU continues to monitor Hurricane Elsa, the first hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic storm season. The university’s emergency operations center has been activated since portions of South Florida remain in the storm’s forecast cone and the local area could be impacted by storm-like conditions early next week.
Given that this is a holiday weekend, faculty and staff should review their department’s hurricane playbook immediately. Please take the following steps before leaving campus today:
- Back up all your data in case we lose power. You may use CrashPlan, an online cloud storage solution or Microsoft OneDrive for Business from Office365.
- Please guard against flood damage by raising any sensitive equipment off the floor, especially in ground floor offices.
- Cover all electronic equipment to protect it from any water leakage that may occur as a result of the storm.
As a member of the FIU family, become familiar with the university’s emergency procedures and be an active participant in your own safety by staying alert to messages from university and local officials.
There's an emergency notification system known as FIU Alert that will alert Panthers through some or all of the following channels of communication:
- Text messages (only issued in the event of imminent danger)
- Informacast (phones in classrooms and outdoor speakers)
- Email messages to your FIU account: Your FIU email and local media will be your source of information for all FIU hurricane-related information.
- Updates on the FIU homepage and news.fiu.edu
- Social media: Facebook and Twitter
- FIU Help Line: 305-FIU-HELP (305-348-4357)
This is also a good time to make sure you and your family have several days’ worth of supplies and medicines. Please monitor local media and pay attention to updates from the National Hurricane Center throughout the next few days.
As a precaution, the Curative COVID-19 testing stations on campus will be closed on Monday, July 5.
Storm preparation may be a new experience for many members of our university community. For tips on what to do, please visit the FIU Department of Emergency Management website or Miami-Dade County’s Hurricane Guide.