Classes and all non-mandatory University operations after 5 p.m. on Wednesday have officially been cancelled as Hurricane Florence was reported to increase to a Category 4 storm.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Florence increased from a Category 3 to a Category 4 storm Monday with winds as high as 140 mph. According to the 5 p.m. NHC update, Florence has increased in size and strength, and storm surge watches could be issued as early as Tuesday morning.
Areas of North Carolina, including Wake County, are expected to get over 10 inches of rain.
As of Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking for federal aid as Hurricane Florence is expected to make landfall between Southport and Wilmington as early as Friday morning.
“I am requesting direct federal assistance for work and services to save lives and protect property such as; generators food, water, shelter supplies, evacuation assistance, medical assistance, medical assistance, swift water rescue teams, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams, technical assistance, and other response measures,” the letter reads.
According to Cooper during a press conference Monday, Hurricane Florence poses a major threat to inland counties as well as the coast. Cooper foresees three major threats: a surge of ocean water along the coast, strong winds and inland flooding.
North Carolina remains under a state of emergency, which was declared Friday. Normal NC State operations are scheduled to resume Sunday at 5 p.m. and classes will resume Monday.
According to Amy Orders, interim director of Emergency Management and Mission Continuity at NC State, students, faculty and staff are advised to to shelter in place in the case of high winds and torrential rains. Departments on campus are helping students to prepare by creating emergency kits.
“I know that [the Division of Academic and Student Affairs] and other groups are putting out an emergency kit within your dorm room or residence hall with a couple of days worth of water and non-perishable food items, extra batteries, charging ports, things like that,” Orders said.
Orders said that students should follow the matra ‘PACK Ready’, which includes making a checklist of things that students may potentially need in an emergency situation.
“It’s kind of that mantra and planning idea and emergency planning on NC State’s campus is coined as PACK Ready,” Orders said. “PACK Ready really says, make a plan, pack a bag and take action, but know how to do each of these steps effectively.”
Along with NC State, other universities in the Carolinas have cancelled classes this week, including East Carolina University and the University of South Carolina, both of whom cancelled classes by Tuesday afternoon. The University of North Carolina at Wilmington cancelled classes the entire week.
Students, faculty and staff can stay updated on the upcoming storm and find ways to prepare by downloading the Ready NC app or follow NC Emergency Management on Facebook or Twitter.
The next NHC update will be issued at 11 p.m.
While NC State has sent out information regarding the academic schedule due to Hurricane Florence, no official statement regarding the storm has been released from the university.
