Gabrielle Russon
With Hurricane Milton heading toward Florida, the University of Central Florida (UCF) announced it will close Tuesday through Thursday so students and employees can prepare and shelter.
Classes will be canceled. Exams paused. Campus operations are suspended.
“We are making this decision in the interest of our community’s safety and well-being and will continue to closely monitor the latest forecasts and provide updates as necessary. We encourage our campus community to use this time to take storm preparations seriously before the onset of severe weather,” the school said late Sunday to announce the closures.
UCF urged students to return home by Tuesday evening.
Students without a place to go can remain in the dorms, although campus services will be closed.
“Access to power, Wi-Fi, food, water, and UCF Housing staff, police, and medical assistance will depend on storm conditions,” UCF said. “Should forecasts intensify, students in on-campus UCF Housing may be required to move to a ride-out location.”
Faculty can use their labs until noon on Tuesday. “After that time, buildings will be locked, sandbagged and inaccessible,” UCF said.
UCF is one of the largest schools in the nation.
The university’s closure comes as Central Florida braces for what’s expected to be a major hurricane when Milton makes landfall. The storm is intensifying and expected to move across Central Florida as it goes to the Atlantic Ocean, although the hurricane’s exact path is still unknown, forecasters said.
“I don’t think there’s any scenario where we don’t have major impacts at this point,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis Sunday.
Orange County is one of 53 Florida counties in a state of emergency.
The others are Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia counties.
