August 27, 2021
12 p.m.
Dear Tulane Community:
Our Office of Emergency Preparedness, along with weather partners at AccuWeather and the National Hurricane Center, continues to actively monitor what is expected to become Hurricane Ida.
While we know preparing for severe weather is not the way anyone would like to begin the semester, please remember that Tulane has faced similar situations many times in in the past, in fact as recently as last year. We have always come through these events safely by keeping the protection of the Tulane community as our No. 1 priority. We have a highly experienced team with expertise in all aspects of storm preparations.
At this point, the storm is projected to make landfall near New Iberia, 90 miles west of New Orleans. In this scenario, the New Orleans area would experience tropical storm winds of 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph and heavy rainfall of 4 to 8 inches beginning Sunday afternoon into Monday morning. Ida’s impact could result in downed trees and limbs as well as power outages for the New Orleans area. Storms can be unpredictable, however, so please continue to monitor our updates.
We continue to take all necessary measures to secure and prepare our community members and our facilities for Ida, including securing back-up emergency power to residential halls and other essential buildings. Everyone, including off-campus students, should continue their personal hurricane preparations, including securing batteries, water and food to last several days. While the university is sheltering-in-place for this storm, everyone should make their own decision – without fear of academic or employment repercussions – regarding whether they leave town for the duration of the storm. For more information on personal storm preparations, please visit emergencyprep.tulane.edu/hurricanes.
The university will continue normal operations today, but we ask that supervisors remain flexible in allowing staff time to leave work to prepare their homes for the storm. The university will be closed, except for essential storm personnel, on Sunday and Monday and all classes, both in-person and online – including SoPA classes, will be cancelled Sunday and Monday. Saturday classes will be held as normal. Consult with your supervisor and your department’s emergency plan to determine if you are an essential storm personnel. The School of Medicine will send out a separate message regarding its operations.
The Commons and the LBC food court will maintain normal operations today. Check the Campus Services website for Saturday hours. Food distribution for residential students will take place at the LBC from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Residential students will receive email notifications for a scheduled time to pick up their allotted three days worth of food. Bottled water will be available at the front desk of residential halls.
Again, storms are unpredictable and the projected track could change, so please continue to monitor your email for daily updates from Tulane, which will also be posted at tulane.edu/emergency. In addition, you can stay updated with Nola Ready emergency alerts at ready.nola.gov/alerts.
While these events are challenging, it is important to remember that we look out for one another in the true Tulane spirit. We are together, once again, on our campuses and dedicated to keeping each another safe. Please follow all the updates you receive and know that we will weather this storm as we have done in the past.
Michael A. Fitts, President
Robin Forman, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Patrick Norton, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
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