Sunday, Aug. 4, 6:10 p.m.: The University of North Florida will be closed on Monday, Aug. 5 per an alert issued after this original article was published. Coverage of UNF’s latest campus alert and live updates can be followed here.
The University of North Florida will maintain “normal business operations” on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, as it continues to monitor Tropical Storm Debby, according to a campus alert sent out Sunday afternoon
This alert follows Saturday afternoon’s alert, which advised on-campus students and employees to prepare for the storm.
Residential housing will remain open for on-campus students. The alert also said any employees with extenuating circumstances should communicate with their direct supervisors.
“The safety and security of our students, faculty and staff are top priority … UNF will continue to monitor the storm and use multiple communication channels to keep the campus updated on any changes that may impact operations,” the alert read.
Sunday’s campus alert urged UNF students and faculty to prepare for the storm. Storm preparedness information can be found here.
UNF sends out campus alerts via text messages, phone calls and notifications on the Safe Ospreys app. Students can download the app here.
A Tropical Storm Warning was issued for the Florida and Georgia coasts from Ponte Vedra Beach to the Savannah River, as stated in an NWS advisory on Sunday at 5 p.m.
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Florida’s Big Bend area and much of Georgia’s coast. NWS noted in its 5 p.m. key messages on Sunday that there is a danger of life-threatening flooding in these areas and that residents should follow the advice of local authorities.
The National Hurricane Center upgraded Tropical Storm Debby from a tropical depression Saturday evening. The storm is forecast to develop into a Category 1 hurricane by 8 p.m. Sunday.
Debby is about 120 miles off the Gulf Coast and is headed North at 12 miles per hour, as of 5 p.m. Sunday. The storm has sustained wind speeds up to 65 miles per hour.
On Sunday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis provided updates on Tropical Storm Debby at the State Emergency Operations Center. DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-157 on Friday, Aug. 2, which declared a state of emergency for 61 Florida counties.
“It is going to drop a lot of rain across many parts of the state,” Desantis said at Sunday morning’s press conference. “There will be power outages … even as a Category 1 hurricane.”
Also on Sunday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that President Joe Biden approved Florida’s emergency declaration. This allows FEMA to begin its disaster protection and relief measures for the affected Florida counties.
A tornado watch remains in effect until 8 p.m. Sunday for the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Desoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia and Wakulla.
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