In preparation for Hurricane Maria, the University of the Virgin Islands will cancel all classes at noon on Monday, Sept. 18. The University will close today, until further notice. UVI employees are excused at 2 p.m., however, please stay until your work areas are secure.
Plastics and sand bags are available at Physical Plant. Only essential employees are required to stay on campus for the storm. Emergency response area coordinators/ representatives are asked to check in with security once their work areas are secure.
As of the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. advisory on Monday, Sept. 18, Hurricane Maria has maximum sustained winds near 110 miles per hour with higher gusts. Hurricane Maria is moving west northwest at 12 miles per hour. A hurricane watch is in effect for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visit UVI Emergency Preparedness page, www.uvi.edu, for updates on storms that affect this region.
The UVI community is asked to be vigilant and monitor all forms of communication, especially radio. UVI status updates will be available on the homepage of the UVI website, www.uvi.edu, and in the News section of the site. Status updates will also be available on social media: www.facebook.com/uvi.edu and twitter.com/uvi_edu; and campus hotlines: (340) 692-4168 on St. Croix and (340) 693-1016 on St. Thomas. Please listen to local radio stations for updates as well.
Information on steps to prepare for inclement weather can be found on UVI’s Emergency Preparedness webpage via this direct link: Emergency Preparedness. All UVI students and employees are encouraged to sign-up for UVI’s Rave emergency notification system, which is used to share critical information via text messages and e-mail. Participants simply add their cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses to the “Personal Information” page in UVI’s BanWeb accounts. Additional instructions on signing up for Rave are available from this direct link.
Employees are also urged to secure their homes and families. Visit http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ for a hurricane preparedness guide or use this link to for the Tropical Cyclone preparedness guide, which features the Family Emergency Plan on page 12. Please remain safe and be extra careful during the next few days.