According to UNF’s Crisis Management Team’s website, the group “works to ensure that UNF is prepared to respond to, recover from, and diminish the effects of a wide variety of disasters that could adversely affect the health, safety, and welfare of its students, faculty, staff, and visitors.”

UNF’s severe weather plans are reviewed yearly, but no new changes were made for this year.

Robert Boyle, Director of Housing & Residence Life and CMT member, said, “A good thing about a hurricane or a tropical storm is that you have a little bit of a notice to plan.”

Building 62 is the university’s emergency operations center. Emergency services include securing loose items outside, clearing paths for exterior drains and training HRL staff on general hurricane practices.

Depending on the storm’s impact, the university would take some general measures. According to Boyle, these may include class cancellations, office and facility closures, shuttle schedule arrangements, and planning for scheduled meals at the Osprey Cafe.

Osprey Fountains, built in 2009, can withstand a certain level of storm damage. The residence hall can house 1,000 individuals and is where on-campus UNF students would go to shelter temporarily in a severe situation if they lacked sufficient housing.

Boyle said backup generators would be available if the building lost power, and staff could provide meals for several days through Ozzie’s, the Fountain’s first-floor restaurant.

Mattresses would be given out to non-residents who still needed to live in the building. Boyle and other UNF staff would also shelter in the building to support students. 

The university’s website offers detailed information on its tropical storm plan, how to prepare for a tropical storm or hurricane, and a list of additional resources. Although UNF will communicate weather and informational alerts via text, call, email, and social media, the website suggests that students download the Safe Ospreys app on their cell phones.

The City of Jacksonville provides an additional guide on hurricane preparation, including evacuation shelter locations. UNF is not located in an evacuation zone.

Spinnaker’s ongoing coverage of Tropical Storm Helene can be found here.