Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on August 29, 2021 as a Category 4 storm, knocking out power to the entire city of New Orleans including Tulane's campus. With no electricity, food, or fuel available, Tulane evacuated approximately 1,500 students by bus to Houston beginning August 31. The campus remained closed for 24 days, with residence halls not reopening until September 24, 2021.
Alerts
5
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Tulane University
Private R1 · LA
~14,000 studentsTU Alerts
Confirmed Timeline
Alert Sequence
5 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 reconstruction·385 chars
Tulane Emergency Update: Hurricane Ida is expected to make landfall tomorrow as a major hurricane. All students in Irby, Phelps, Wall, and Paterson residence halls must relocate to the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life due to the proximity of a construction crane to their buildings. Essential supplies including water, flashlights, and charged devices are strongly recommended.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
The pre-landfall relocation of students from four residence halls to the student center was driven by the specific hazard of a construction crane near the buildings, not just general storm preparation
TUPD (Tulane University Police Department) coordinated the internal relocation before the storm hit
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction·405 chars
Tulane Emergency Update: Due to the loss of power across Orleans Parish and the inability to provide necessities such as food and fuel, all remaining students will be evacuated to Houston beginning at 10:00 AM tomorrow, August 31. Tulane has secured coach buses with police escorts. A hub in Houston will provide food and lodging at the university's expense. All classes are canceled through September 12.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
Senior Vice President Patrick Norton stated Tulane chose to evacuate because Orleans Parish lacked the power to provide necessities like food and fuel, saying 'It was just not a safe environment'
The decision to evacuate to Houston rather than shelter in place reflected the total infrastructure failure across New Orleans, not just campus-level damage
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction·323 chars
Tulane Evacuation Update: Buses are departing campus beginning at 10:00 AM. A caravan of 37 coach buses with police escorts will transport students to the Houston hub. The university will provide food and lodging in Houston until students can arrange flights home. Monitor your Tulane email for updates on class resumption.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
The bus caravan (reported as 37 by Tulane, about 35 by KHOU) with police escorts represented one of the largest post-hurricane campus evacuations in recent higher education history
About 1,500 students made the approximately 350-mile journey from New Orleans to Houston
FOLLOW-UPEmail
Approximate reconstruction·306 chars
Tulane Update: Classes will resume in an online format beginning today, Monday, September 13. The campus remains closed for in-person activities. Residence halls are expected to reopen on September 24. Continue to monitor Tulane email and emergency preparedness website for updates on the return to campus.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
The two-week gap between class cancellation and online resumption reflects the severity of the infrastructure disruption affecting both students and faculty across the region
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction·254 chars
Tulane Update: Residence halls are now open for student move-in. Welcome back to campus. Please review updated campus safety protocols and check your building for any changes. In-person classes will resume according to the restructured academic calendar.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
A total of 24 days elapsed between the evacuation on August 31 and the reopening of residence halls on September 24, 2021
Context
Background
Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana on August 29, 2021 as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. The storm knocked out power to all of Orleans Parish, including Tulane's uptown campus. The Tulane Hullabaloo reported that social media posts from students showed leaking ceilings, flooded rooms, and crumbling walls in the aftermath. With no power, food services, or fuel available in New Orleans, Tulane made the decision to evacuate students rather than shelter in place. CNN reported that approximately 1,500 students were transported to Houston via a caravan of 37 coach buses with police escorts. The TUPD response included pre-storm relocation of students from residence halls near a construction crane, campus security throughout the storm, and coordination of the Houston evacuation. The 24-day campus closure was one of the longest hurricane-related closures in Tulane's history since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Analysis
Key Findings
01Tulane's decision to evacuate 1,500 students to Houston via 37 buses illustrates how total infrastructure failure in a city can force universities to relocate their entire residential population
02The pre-storm internal relocation of students from four residence halls due to a nearby construction crane shows how construction hazards compound hurricane risks
03The 24-day campus closure demonstrates that hurricane impacts extend far beyond the storm itself when city-wide power and services are disrupted
Outcome
No injuries reported among Tulane students. Approximately 1,500 students evacuated to Houston via 37 coach buses. Campus closed for 24 days. Classes canceled through September 12 and resumed online September 13. Residence halls reopened September 24.