Campus Alert Archive
XULA

Xavier of Louisiana Puts Remaining 200 Students on Charter Buses to Dallas as Ida Leaves Campus Without Power and With Roof Leaks

LAhurricaneadvisorymedium confidence

On August 29, 2021 -- the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina -- Category 4 Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, devastating New Orleans and the surrounding region. Xavier University of Louisiana sustained flooding, fallen trees, and building damage including water leaking through roofs. The university closed at 5 p.m. on August 27 ahead of the storm and subsequently relocated its approximately 200 remaining on-campus students by charter bus to a Dallas hotel on September 1, covering their rooms, food, and providing remote learning for at least two weeks.

Alerts
2
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Xavier University of Louisiana
Hbcu · LA
~3,400 studentsXULA Emergency 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 reconstruction366 chars
Xavier University of Louisiana will close at 5 p.m. today, Friday, August 27, 2021, due to the approach of Hurricane Ida. All campus activities and operations are suspended until further notice. Students who remain on campus will be provided with food, water, and shelter. Please take all necessary precautions and monitor official Xavier communications for updates.

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

Reconstructed from WGNO New Orleans and Fox 8 Live reporting; exact wording not confirmed from official XULA archive
Closure announced on Friday, August 27 at 5 p.m., two days before Ida's August 29 landfall at Port Fourchon as a Category 4 storm
Most students evacuated before the storm; approximately 200 chose to remain on campus
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction429 chars
Xavier University of Louisiana is extending its closure due to the ongoing aftermath of Hurricane Ida. The university will begin relocating remaining on-campus students on Wednesday, September 1, from our New Orleans campus to a hotel in downtown Dallas. Students should pack two bags for two weeks. All room, food, and transportation costs will be covered by the university. Remote instruction will resume next week from Dallas.

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

Reconstructed from Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth and NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reporting; exact wording not confirmed from official XULA archive
University announced the Dallas relocation on Tuesday, August 31 -- 48 hours after Ida's landfall -- while campus remained without power and had roof leaks
Charter buses departed New Orleans Wednesday morning with first arrivals at the Dallas hotel late Wednesday afternoon, September 1
Context

Background

Xavier University of Louisiana, the only Catholic HBCU in the United States, is located in the Gert Town neighborhood of New Orleans. Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon on August 29, 2021 -- the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina -- as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds, the strongest to ever strike Louisiana. Most Xavier students had evacuated before the storm, but approximately 200 chose to remain on campus. The university sustained flooding, fallen trees, structural damage, roof leaks, and a total loss of power that lasted for multiple days. By Tuesday, August 31, university officials announced they would relocate all remaining students by charter bus to a Dallas hotel, covering room, food, and providing remote instruction from Dallas for at least two weeks. Xavier was one of several Louisiana HBCUs and universities significantly impacted by Ida, which inflicted more than $75 billion in damage across Louisiana. The incident echoed XULA's experience with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when the campus sustained severe flooding and the university relocated to a Houston hotel, demonstrating the ongoing vulnerability of New Orleans's HBCU community to Gulf Coast hurricanes.
Outcome
All approximately 200 on-campus students safely relocated to Dallas. Campus sustained flooding, fallen trees, roof leaks, and building damage. No injuries reported. Remote learning resumed from Dallas the following week. Campus closure extended significantly into the fall semester. Power remained out on campus for multiple days after the storm.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Louisiana universities ravaged by Hurricane Ida relocating students to Texas - Fox 4 Dallas
    fox4news.com
  2. News
    Xavier University extends closure due to Hurricane Ida aftermath - WGNO
    wgno.com
  3. Student Paper
    Hurricane Ida hits New Orleans with devastating impacts - XULA Student Media
    xulastudentmedia.com
  4. News
    Hurricane Ida interrupts fall semester for many Louisiana universities - Louisiana Illuminator
    lailluminator.com
  5. News
    Xavier University Students receive shelter, hospitality in Dallas - NBC 5 DFW
    nbcdfw.com
Tags
hurricanehurricane-idahbculouisiananew-orleansfloodingcampus-closurestudent-relocation2021catholic-hbcu
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion