{
  "id": "2026-07-20-tulane-university-tropical-storm-bertha",
  "slug": "tulane-university-tropical-storm-bertha-2026-07-20",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Tulane University",
    "shortName": "Tulane",
    "state": "LA",
    "type": "private-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "TU Alert / Office of Emergency Preparedness",
    "enrollment": 14000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2026-07-20",
    "endDate": "2026-07-22",
    "type": "hurricane",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "resolved",
    "headline": "Three-day emergency emails as Tropical Storm Bertha moves through New Orleans",
    "headlinePublic": "Three-day emergency emails as Tropical Storm Bertha moves through New Orleans",
    "summary": "From July 20-22, 2026, Tulane's Office of Emergency Preparedness & Response [emailed the community](https://tulane.edu/emergency/communication/email/tropical-storm-bertha/tulane-monitoring-tropical-storm-bertha-0) as Tropical Depression 2 strengthened into Tropical Storm Bertha. Campuses remained open with caution for flooding and travel delays; the July 22 message added avoid-flooded-roadways guidance while operations continued.",
    "outcome": "All campuses remained open with normal operations through Bertha's passage; community told to exercise caution for flooding and travel."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2026-07-20T15:15:00-05:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Dear Tulane Community,\n\nWe are closely monitoring Tropical Depression 2, which is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Bertha later today.\n\nAll Tulane campuses remain open. At this time, we do not anticipate any changes to normal university operations this week.\n\nThe system is currently expected to reach our area on Wednesday afternoon. Employees who may be affected by weather-related conditions, including flooding or travel delays, should communicate directly with their supervisors. Supervisors are encouraged to provide flexibility as circumstances warrant.\n\nFor local emergency alerts, sign up for NOLA Ready Alerts at ready.nola.gov/alerts. You can also follow the latest forecast coverage through local news outlets, including WWL-TV, WDSU, FOX 8, and WGNO.\n\nThe next update will be sent tomorrow, so please continue to monitor your email. Information regarding university operations will also be posted at tulane.edu/emergency.\n\nSincerely,\n\nOffice of Emergency Preparedness & Response",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://tulane.edu/emergency/communication/email/tropical-storm-bertha/tulane-monitoring-tropical-depression-2",
      "sourceDescription": "Tulane emergency communications archive (OEPR email)",
      "annotations": [
        "Archive header: Monday, July 20, 2026 - 3:15 pm from emergencyprep@tulane.edu."
      ],
      "characterCount": 1001,
      "confidence": "high"
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2026-07-21T15:00:00-05:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Dear Tulane Community,\n\nWe continue to closely monitor Tropical Storm Bertha as it approaches South Louisiana.\n\nAll Tulane campuses remain open. At this time, we do not anticipate any changes to normal university operations this week.\n\nThe system is currently expected to reach our area tomorrow. Employees who may be affected by weather-related conditions, including flooding or travel delays, should communicate directly with their supervisors. Supervisors are encouraged to provide flexibility as circumstances warrant.\n\nThe next update will be sent tomorrow, so please continue to monitor your email. Information regarding university operations will also be posted at tulane.edu/emergency.\n\nStay safe,\n\nOffice of Emergency Preparedness & Response",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://tulane.edu/emergency/communication/email/tropical-storm-bertha/tulane-monitoring-tropical-storm-bertha",
      "sourceDescription": "Tulane emergency communications archive (OEPR email)",
      "annotations": [
        "Archive header: Tuesday, July 21, 2026 - 3:00 pm."
      ],
      "characterCount": 750,
      "confidence": "high"
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2026-07-22T12:55:00-05:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Dear Tulane Community,\n\nWe continue to closely monitor Tropical Storm Bertha as it moves through the New Orleans area today.\n\nAt this time, all university campuses remain open, and normal operations are continuing as scheduled. University officials are actively monitoring weather conditions and are in communication with local, state, and federal partners to assess any potential impacts to our campuses and community.\n\nAs tropical storm conditions may result in periods of heavy rainfall, localized flooding, hazardous driving conditions, and travel delays, faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to exercise caution throughout the day. Employees who experience weather-related challenges affecting their ability to report to work should communicate directly with their supervisors. Supervisors are encouraged to provide flexibility as circumstances warrant.\n\nMembers of the university community should continue to monitor official weather forecasts and be prepared to adjust plans if conditions change. We encourage everyone to avoid flooded roadways, use caution when traveling, and prioritize personal safety.\n\nThe university will continue to evaluate conditions throughout the day and will provide updates if needed. Information regarding university operations and emergency notifications will also be posted at tulane.edu/emergency.\n\nThank you for your attention and cooperation.\n\nStay safe,\n\nOffice of Emergency Preparedness & Response",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://tulane.edu/emergency/communication/email/tropical-storm-bertha/tulane-monitoring-tropical-storm-bertha-0",
      "sourceDescription": "Tulane emergency communications archive (OEPR email)",
      "annotations": [
        "Archive header: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 - 12:55 pm; strongest protective language of the series."
      ],
      "characterCount": 1448,
      "confidence": "high"
    }
  ],
  "context": "Tulane's Office of Emergency Preparedness & Response archives community-wide emergency emails at tulane.edu/emergency. Tropical Storm Bertha prompted three successive open-campus monitoring messages July 20-22, 2026 with flooding and travel caution.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "All three messages are complete official email bodies on the university emergency archive.",
    "July 22 message adds avoid flooded roadways and prioritize personal safety while campuses remain open."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "type": "official-archive",
      "title": "Tulane OEPR Tropical Depression 2 monitoring",
      "url": "https://tulane.edu/emergency/communication/email/tropical-storm-bertha/tulane-monitoring-tropical-depression-2",
      "accessDate": "2026-07-25"
    },
    {
      "type": "official-archive",
      "title": "Tulane OEPR Tropical Storm Bertha monitoring Jul 21",
      "url": "https://tulane.edu/emergency/communication/email/tropical-storm-bertha/tulane-monitoring-tropical-storm-bertha",
      "accessDate": "2026-07-25"
    },
    {
      "type": "official-archive",
      "title": "Tulane OEPR Tropical Storm Bertha monitoring Jul 22",
      "url": "https://tulane.edu/emergency/communication/email/tropical-storm-bertha/tulane-monitoring-tropical-storm-bertha-0",
      "accessDate": "2026-07-25"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "hurricane",
    "tropical-storm",
    "bertha",
    "tulane",
    "emergency-email"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-07-25",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-25",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}