Thursday, May 30, 2019

Hurricane season is imminent, and residents of North Carolina know firsthand how important it is to be prepared, particularly after experiencing Hurricane Florence last year. 

UNCW’s Environmental Health and Safety Department emphasizes the need for all students and employees to have personal preparedness plans and be aware of emergency procedures and campus communication methods. University officials work throughout the year to keep UNCW aligned with federally compliant hurricane procedures and the campus community informed of delays, closings and other weather-related information. 

Hurricane Florence presented challenges that had not been anticipated, and the emergency management team has reviewed and refined its preparedness and response plans accordingly. 

In the event of tropical weather in the vicinity of the UNCW main campus or satellite locations, the university may use a variety of communication tools to disseminate emergency information and to announce closings or cancellations. Please familiarize yourself with these communication tools: 

• UNCW homepage: This is the official source, along with the university’s social media feeds, of emergency information and statements/responses from the university. Other units on campus may share information posted on the homepage and via feeds. Please be sure you are relying on only official university messaging during emergency situations.
• Emails to campus inboxes, phone calls and/or text messages (information about the university’s emergency alerts distribution list can be found here; students are automatically included on this distribution list, but faculty and staff must opt in)
• UNCW Facebook
• UNCW Twitter
• UNCW Alert website (used in the event of long-term/continuing emergency situations, e.g. before and after a hurricane)

• UNCW Alert hotline: 910.962.3991 or toll-free at 888.657.5751 (activated in certain situations, this hotline reflects information already available via the online resources listed here)
• Local media outlets

By collaboratively focusing on hurricane season awareness and preparation, our campus community will continue to be prepared to weather the storms that come our way. 

-- Tricia Vance 

#EH&S