Campus Alert Archive
UVI

Two Category 5 Hurricanes in Two Weeks, and 'UVI Will Rise'

VIhurricaneemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Just two weeks after Hurricane Irma raked St. Thomas on September 6, 2017, Hurricane Maria struck the U.S. Virgin Islands as a Category 5 on September 20, passing over St. Croix with winds near 178 mph. The two storms left ten buildings across UVI's St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses uninhabitable with damage estimated at $60-80 million. Despite the destruction, UVI resumed classes within about a month, moving many courses online.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of the Virgin Islands
Territory · VI
~2,200 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 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 reconstruction269 chars
UVI ALERT: Hurricane Maria is approaching the Virgin Islands and is expected to bring catastrophic winds. All campuses are closed. Students, faculty, and staff must complete preparations and move to a safe shelter immediately. Do not attempt to travel during the storm.

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

Reconstruction reflecting that Maria approached the USVI on September 18-20, 2017, only two weeks after Irma, while the territory was already devastated.
Coming so soon after Irma, the pre-storm message addressed a community whose normal shelter options were already damaged, sharpening the instruction to reach a safe shelter.
UPDATEWebsite+1d
Approximate reconstruction265 chars
UVI UPDATE: Hurricane Maria has passed but our campuses have sustained severe damage. Several buildings are unsafe to enter. Remain where you are unless directed by authorities. Communications are limited; updates will follow as power and connectivity are restored.

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

Reconstruction tied to reporting that ten buildings across the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses were left uninhabitable, with $60-80 million in damage.
This is an update, not an all-clear: it warns that buildings are unsafe and that the broader emergency continued amid limited communications.
FOLLOW-UPWebsite+30d
Approximate reconstruction168 chars
UVI UPDATE: Classes will resume. Many courses move to online or recorded formats while we repair our campuses. We thank our community for its resilience. UVI Will Rise.

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

Reconstruction based on reporting that UVI resumed classes within about a month, with faculty converting courses to online and recorded formats.
The phrase 'UVI Will Rise' became the institution's documented rallying slogan during recovery and is reflected here as the recovery message rather than a literal verbatim alert.
Context

Background

The University of the Virgin Islands, the territory's HBCU-designated public university with campuses on St. Thomas and St. Croix, was struck by two Category 5 hurricanes within two weeks in September 2017. Hurricane Irma hit St. Thomas on September 6, and Hurricane Maria followed on September 20, passing over St. Croix with sustained winds near 178 mph. Across both campuses, ten buildings were rendered uninhabitable, faculty lost offices, a residence hall was destroyed, and damage was estimated at $60-80 million. The federal disaster declaration (DR-4340-VI) covered the territory. Remarkably, UVI resumed classes within about a month of Irma's arrival, with faculty shifting to online and recorded formats and the community adopting the slogan 'UVI Will Rise.' This case complements the archive's existing Irma entry by documenting the second, even more destructive blow from Maria.
Analysis

Key Findings

UVI absorbed two Category 5 hurricanes within two weeks, a near-unprecedented compound disaster for a single university system
Ten buildings across the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses were left uninhabitable, with $60-80 million in damage and a residence hall destroyed
Despite the damage, the university resumed instruction within roughly a month by moving to online and recorded courses
Outcome
No campus fatalities reported. Ten buildings were uninhabitable and a residence hall was lost; the university shifted to online and recorded lectures and resumed classes roughly a month after Irma under the rallying phrase 'UVI Will Rise.'
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Though devastated by hurricanes, University of the Virgin Islands knows 'UVI Will Rise'
    andscape.com
  2. Source
    Hurricane Maria
    en.wikipedia.org
  3. Official
    Virgin Islands Hurricane Maria (DR-4340-VI)
    fema.gov
  4. Source
    Health Impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on St Thomas and St John, US Virgin Islands, 2017-2018
    pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Tags
hurricanevirgin-islandsterritoryhurricane-maria2017-atlantic-hurricanescompound-disastercampus-closure
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion