[Art-instructors] Hurricane Idalia

[Jeff Beekman]

Hi All,

I try not to email over the weekend, but I just want to be sure you are all keeping an eye on this. It is still too soon to be sure, but the cone of Tropical Depression 10 (projected Hurricane Idalia) has tightened and remains focused on the Panhandle. If that forecast holds it will likely mean campus closures, so be prepared to lose a day of class next week.

Again, there is no need to panic but I do suggest planning ahead. If the storm strengthens in the Gulf as is currently projected, and if it hits straight on or to our west, be prepared for an uncomfortable period of possible long power outages.

At this stage the NHC updates hurricane track forecasts every six hours, so there should be more info at 10AM.          https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at5.shtml?start#contents

For those who are new to the area, here's some potentially helpful advice - (adapted from an email Jean Hudson sent out to Art History):

Keep your gas tank full. I would go ahead and fill up now, because the first thing Tallahassee does, when there is ANY possibility of a storm, is form gas lines and deplete the supply. That can be a real problem even if a storm doesn’t come here.

Keep medicines refilled and essentials stocked up during hurricane season (pretty much all fall):  pet food, toilet paper, emergency cash. Be sure you have at least one good working flashlight and fresh batteries for it, and a car charger for your phone. If you have backup chargers, keep them charged.

Have a stock of non-perishable food, in case of power outages. A tropical storm in 2016 left most of Tallahassee without power for several days (some for 2 weeks) due to trees falling on power lines. Don’t make any assumptions based on the strength of a storm. There’s no need to panic, but being prepared can keep you from being uncomfortable.

Get information from reliable sources. Social media will tell you there’s a Cat 6 hurricane on the way (no such thing) and news channels can be alarmist. The primary source for all storm prediction is nhc.noaa.gov<http://nhc.noaa.gov/>; the app Hurricane Tracker<https://apps.apple.com/us/app/national-hurricane-center-data/id1289108781> pulls data directly from the NHC. And the European Model has recently proven to be more accurate than others.

Follow FSU and Local emergency planning resources: https://alerts.fsu.edu/helpful-links. Install the SeminoleSAFE app for updates (and other useful safety resources), see alerts.fsu.edu/<https://alerts.fsu.edu/> for information about school closures.

All Best,
Jeff


Jeff Beekman
he/him/his
Associate Professor, Department Chair
Department of Art
Florida State University
405.650.9276 (cell)

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