Campus Alert Archive
Hampton

A Waterfront HBCU That Floods 'On a Regular Basis' Clears Out for Florence

VAhurricaneemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Hampton University, a historically Black university on a peninsula where the Hampton River meets Chesapeake Bay, cancelled classes ahead of Hurricane Florence and told students to leave campus as Governor Ralph Northam ordered mandatory evacuations for low-lying parts of Hampton Roads. One Hampton student told a reporter she left because campus "floods pretty badly on a regular basis when it rains." The university planned to remain closed through Sunday, September 16, with classes resuming Monday, September 17.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Hampton University
Hbcu · VA
~3,600 studentsHU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstructionWWBT/12 On Your Side coverage of Virginia campus closures — reconstructed341 chars
Due to Hurricane Florence and the Governor's State of Emergency for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Hampton University will cancel classes beginning at 6:00 p.m. today, Tuesday, September 11. Students are advised to leave campus. The University expects to remain closed through Sunday, September 16, with classes resuming Monday, September 17.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from local-news reporting that Hampton issued an advisory for classes cancelled beginning Tuesday at 6 p.m. and tied the closure to the Governor's State of Emergency; exact alert wording could not be confirmed verbatim, so isVerbatimConfirmed is false.
The 6:00 p.m. Tuesday cancellation time and the September 17 resumption date are the specific operational facts; Hampton's low-lying peninsula location made early closure especially urgent.
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstructionNPR coverage of Hampton Roads mandatory evacuations — reconstructed290 chars
Reminder: Students who have not yet evacuated should plan to leave campus by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 12. The mandatory evacuation order issued for low-lying portions of Hampton Roads remains in effect. Continue to monitor official University communications for reopening information.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed reminder reflecting that Governor Northam's mandatory evacuation order covered the low-lying Hampton Roads zone where Hampton University sits; the precise departure-deadline wording is not confirmed verbatim.
Hampton's emphasis on a hard departure deadline contrasts with inland campuses that could ride out the storm in place, illustrating how coastal HBCUs manage evacuation logistics.
Context

Background

Hampton University occupies a peninsula at the mouth of the Hampton River on Chesapeake Bay, one of the most flood-prone campuses among the nation's HBCUs. When Hurricane Florence approached in September 2018, Governor Ralph Northam declared a State of Emergency and ordered mandatory evacuations for more than a million Virginians in low-lying Hampton Roads. Hampton was among the Virginia campuses to cancel classes and send students home, with one student telling reporters the campus "floods pretty badly on a regular basis when it rains." Florence ultimately weakened to a Category 1 and made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, sparing Hampton Roads the worst-case storm surge; the university reopened on schedule. The episode highlights the recurring challenge for coastal HBCUs whose campuses face routine flooding even from ordinary rain.
Analysis

Key Findings

Hampton's peninsula geography on Chesapeake Bay makes it one of the most flood-prone HBCU campuses, so the university moved early to cancel classes and clear students out ahead of Florence
The closure was driven by the Governor's mandatory evacuation order for low-lying Hampton Roads, not just the forecast — a coastal-campus dynamic distinct from inland schools
Florence weakened and tracked into North Carolina, so the precautionary evacuation ended without a direct strike on campus
Outcome
Florence weakened and made landfall in North Carolina, sparing the Hampton Roads region a direct strike. Hampton University reopened on schedule.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Classes canceled, college students evacuating ahead of Florence
    12onyourside.com
  2. News
    More Than 1 Million People Ordered To Evacuate As Hurricane Florence Approaches
    npr.org
  3. Source
    Hurricane Florence
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
hurricanehbcuvirginiahampton-roadsevacuationfloodingweather
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion