University of South Florida trying to return to normal post-Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene, Spet. 26. Image via NOAA via AP.

The University of South Florida (USF), located on the state’s mid-Gulf Coast, is reopening its campuses after Hurricane Helene’s impact.

According to a news release, USF-St. Petersburg began operations and is open as of Sunday morning.

“The St. Petersburg campus reopened, and on-campus facilities resumed normal operating hours on Sunday, Sept. 29. Residence halls on the St. Petersburg campus also reopened on Sunday at 8 a.m.”

All other campuses in Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee are also open again, and those two locations were operational on Sunday. Any other offices or operations are set to open on Monday.

As with many public and private facilities, USF shut down operations as the storm approached and eventually made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane Thursday evening.

There was some damage to facilities at USF.

“The Piano Man building (PNM), One Fifth Avenue South building (ONE), and Special Services building (SVB) in St. Petersburg remain closed. Plans are being developed to move operations from those three buildings to alternative locations on campus. Further updates on those three facilities will be shared as soon as possible. In addition, please avoid parking on the peninsula near the College of Marine Science to facilitate the ongoing cleanup of debris in the area,” a USF news release advised the campus community.

Generally, though, the university is trying to return to normal.

“Residence halls on the St. Petersburg campus reopened at 8 a.m. on Sunday, and dining reopened at 10 a.m. USF St. Petersburg residential students who evacuated to the Tampa campus before the storm returned to St. Petersburg at 10 a.m.,” a USF news release said.

“Once the campus reopens, employees should return to work at their regular business hours or at the time their shift normally starts. Faculty members and graduate students can return to their labs once a campus has reopened.”