Florida colleges are canceling classes as Idalia treks toward the state. What to know
Some Florida universities will be closed through at least Wednesday to give faculty, staff and students time to prepare ahead of strengthening Idalia’s expected landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Idalia is forecast to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall Wednesday on Florida’s Gulf coast, likely in the Big Bend region, sparking school closures across the state.
Here’s a list:
▪ University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando said academic and most campus operations are suspended Wednesday.
“Students, faculty, and staff should remain indoors and off the roads during periods of possible intermittent tropical winds and weather,” the university said. “Select campus dining facilities and student services will be open on Wednesday to support students who live on campus.”
Standard operations are planned to resume Thursday.
▪ Florida State University (FSU) said its Tallahassee campuses will remain closed through Friday. Classes were canceled starting at noon Tuesday.
“Main campus housing will remain open and dining operations will be adjusted accordingly throughout the closure,” FSU said.
READ MORE: Idalia is expected to hit as a Category 3 hurricane. When will Florida airports close?
▪ Florida A&M University (FAMU) said it suspended classes and closed its Tallahassee main campus, Quincy and the Viticulture Center, from 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The university said it will reopen on Tuesday, Sept. 5.
“Meal accommodations will be made for students daily. Residence halls will be open, and students are urged to shelter in place,” FAMU said.
Other locations, such as its pharmacy practice sites in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville are closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Its South Florida Pharmacy Practice Center in Davie will stay open. For a full list of closings, visit famu.edu/alerts/.
▪ The University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville said its campus closed and classes were canceled beginning at noon Tuesday and through Wednesday. The university expects to make a decision Wednesday on whether to reopen campus and resume classes later this week.
“All academic and student-related activities, including online classes and exams, will also be canceled during that time,” UF announced Monday afternoon. Students who live in residence halls on campus should plan to stay in them, the university said.
READ MORE: Watch how Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach look as Hurricane Idalia gets closer to Florida
▪ The University of Tampa (UT) is closed and classes are canceled. It’s in an evacuation zone and it was in the process of evacuating all of its residential students by noon Tuesday, according to an online post. UT expects to resume full campus operations on Thursday.
▪ The University of South Florida (USF) in the Tampa area also announced Monday that classes would be canceled and its campuses will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The university expects to make a decision Wednesday on whether to reopen campus and resume classes on Thursday.
USF said its campuses in Temple Terrace near Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee will be closed Tuesday through Wednesday. The university said its residence halls on the Tampa and St. Petersburg campuses will remain open for now, though school leaders are monitoring evacuation orders to see if students living on its St. Petersburg campus will have to evacuate.
“If residence halls in St. Petersburg close, residential students from St. Petersburg who do not have alternative housing options will be relocated to the Tampa campus by the university,” USF said. “If the Tampa campus is required to evacuate, students remaining on campus would be transported to approved county shelters until it is safe to return.”
READ MORE: Which part of Florida will see the ‘dirty side’ of Idalia and face the worst weather?
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
Miami Herald staff writer Omar Rodriguez Ortiz contributed to this report.
This story was originally published August 28, 2023 at 4:47 PM.
