Hurricane Sandy Update 2, Oct. 29

Oct 29, 2012

Monday, October 29, 1:00 PM 

Members of the University Community: 

Given the continued serious forecasts for Hurricane Sandy, The University of Scranton will be closed on Tuesday, October 30. All classes and events are cancelled. As is typical for weather-related closings, personnel who are designated as essential to campus operations and food service should report to work. 

The storm is expected to cause substantial damage through a multi-state area. Government officials have already announced closures of roads and mass transit systems in areas that are likely to be affected by the hurricane. The University strongly recommends that students living on or near campus remain in Scranton to avoid the risk of travel in hazardous conditions. 

The storm is expected to include sustained high winds and heavy rains. Students should remain indoors throughout the storm, which should begin to subside by Tuesday morning. Hurricane Sandy is also expected to cause widespread power outages throughout our area and beyond. Students should plan for this possibility as well by charging and conserving power on cellular phones. 

The University has contingency plans and systems to maintain essential campus functions in an emergency. The DeNaples Center, Loyola Science Center and the following residence halls are served by generators that will maintain emergency lighting and other essential functions: Redington, Condron, Gavigan, Pilarz and Montrone halls. The emergency lighting system in all other residence halls and campus houses are served by battery units that will provide lighting for about 30 minutes. All residence halls have telephone lines that are not affected by the loss of power, which is also the case for emergency call boxes throughout campus. 

Food service will be available in the DeNaples Center, and the campus will be supported by Residence Life, Facilities and University Police. 

The University’s campus network and access to the Internet are supported by a backup generator. The path of the storm can, however, affect regional providers of Internet service that could interrupt our access to the Internet through the campus network. Should the University lose Internet access, additional information will continue to be provided through the emergency notification system. Additionally, information will be shared through Residence Life and through a message center on the first floor of the DeNaples Center. 

The University’s Incident Management Team is closely monitoring the storm and will provide updates as needed. 

Sincerely, 

Harold W. Baillie, Ph.D.                                                       
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost 

Vincent Carilli, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs  
 

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