Jesse Scheckner
With Tropical Storm Debby mostly in the rearview, the University of Florida (UF) will return to normal operating status on Tuesday.
Classes and all academic and student-related activities — including online classes — will resume too.
UF Health hospitals and clinics largely remained open as the maelstrom passed above the Gainesville area, bringing wind and rain. The school said personnel at locations that closed should check with their immediate supervisors to confirm reopening schedules.
Institute of Food and Agriculture students throughout the state should follow local guidance and check with their supervisors for information on the reopening of their work locations.
“Employees who have been affected by the storm are encouraged to speak to their supervisors regarding their specific circumstances,” a UF advisory said. “Students are also encouraged to reach out directly to their faculty about exam timelines and final project submissions.”
UF urged people to watch for fallen trees or branches and downed power lines, which may still be present after the storm, and use caution at intersections where traffic signals are inoperable.
People should also avoid walking in standing water and driving through flooded areas.
Employees and students facing financial challenges due to Debby should visit Aid-a-Gator to apply for grants.
Tropical Storm Debby made landfall in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane Monday morning before quickly downgrading. At least four people, including two kids, have been killed in and around the state’s Big Bend area.
More than 211,000 customers were without power at 4 p.m. Monday.
As the storm moves northward through Florida and toward Georgia and South Carolina, experts say flooding, not winds, will be the biggest danger.
When monitoring storms, “Don’t focus on the category,” Craig Fugate, a former Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Florida Department of Emergency Management, told The Associated Press.
Fugate also stressed that residents would do better seeking up-to-date information from local weather outlets and the National Weather Service, rather than the National Hurricane Center, which is “responsible for storm intensity and track (but not) all the local impacts.”
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Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. Republished with permission.
