Florida State cancels classes, closes campus through weekend due to Tropical Storm Helene

Florida State University says it will cancel classes and close its campus starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday through the weekend ahead of the approaching Tropical Storm Helene.

The school in Tallahassee said it expects to resume normal operations early Monday morning.

It said students living in campus housing can remain there but should plan for possible power outages and expect to be stuck inside most of Thursday. Dining halls will be open as long as it’s safe for students, but the schedule may be adjusted for food service, FSU said.

The National Hurricane Center forecasts Helene to strengthen into a hurricane Wednesday and then make landfall along Florida’s Big Bend on late Thursday or early Friday.

READ MORE: Tropical Storm Helene forms. It could hit Florida Gulf coast with 15 feet of surge

The school urged students to prepare as though dining halls may not open for Thursday.

Florida A&M University has not yet announced whether it will close. Earlier Monday, the school said it was monitoring the potentially dangerous tropical weather system that could bring severe weather conditions to the Florida Panhandle later this week.

The University of Florida said its main campus in Gainesville will remain open Wednesday ahead of the approaching storm.

UF notified students and faculty late Tuesday that administrators were expected to meet on Wednesday to decide whether to close the university for Thursday or Friday. It expected a decision on that by noon.

College football will not be affected in Gainesville, either way. The Gators were in a bye week and won’t play again until their home game Oct. 5 against the University of Central Florida.

This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. You can donate to support our students here.