{
  "id": "2024-09-25-university-of-florida-hurricane-helene",
  "slug": "university-of-florida-hurricane-helene-2024-09-25",
  "institution": {
    "name": "University of Florida",
    "shortName": "UF",
    "state": "FL",
    "type": "public-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "UF Alert",
    "alertPlatform": "GatorAlert / UF Emergency Weather Updates",
    "enrollment": 60000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-09-25",
    "endDate": "2024-09-28",
    "type": "hurricane",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat",
    "headline": "Campus closes for two days as a hurricane makes landfall in the region",
    "headlinePublic": "Campus closes for two days as a hurricane makes landfall in the region",
    "summary": "[The University of Florida](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Florida) closed offices and canceled classes [beginning at 12:01 AM EDT on Thursday, September 26, 2024](https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/25/classes-canceled-campus-closed-thursday-due-to-hurricane-helene/) ahead of [Hurricane Helene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Helene), which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida's Big Bend region on the night of September 26. UF later [extended the closure through Friday, September 27 with offices reopening at 12:01 AM EDT Saturday, September 28](https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/26/hurricane-helene-update-10-9-26-2024/).",
    "outcome": "UF Gainesville campus closed and classes canceled from 12:01 AM EDT Thursday, September 26 through 12:01 AM EDT Saturday, September 28, 2024. Florida Fresh Dining continued operating for residential students. Students were directed to shelter in place in residence halls. Vehicles were excluded from UF Health garages to keep them available for medical staff. Helene's Big Bend landfall (140 mph) caused catastrophic damage in western Florida and across the Southern Appalachians, but Gainesville was on the storm's weaker western side."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-23T16:45:39-04:00",
      "channel": "website",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/23/potential-tropical-cyclone-nine-update-1-2/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-24T15:50:58-04:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/24/t-s-helene-operations-class-schedule-update/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-24T18:27:40-04:00",
      "channel": "website",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/24/tropical-storm-helene-update-4-9-24-2024/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 4,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-25T06:59:11-04:00",
      "channel": "website",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/25/tropical-storm-helene-update-5-9-25-2024/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 5,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-25T11:32:04-04:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "UF ALERT: Due to Hurricane Helene, University of Florida offices will close and classes will be canceled beginning at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, September 26. Offices will reopen and classes will resume at 7 a.m. Friday, September 27. All academic and student-related activities, including online classes and exams, are canceled during this period. Students who live in residence halls on campus should plan to shelter in place within their residence hall. Florida Fresh Dining will continue to serve the campus community during the storm. Students, faculty, and staff should not park their personal vehicles in campus parking garages, including UF Health garages, as those are needed for UF Health employees. Updates: updates.emergency.ufl.edu.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/25/classes-canceled-campus-closed-thursday-due-to-hurricane-helene/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": [
        "UF ALERT operational notice for Helene campus closure/cancellation (official emergency updates)"
      ],
      "characterCount": 739
    },
    {
      "sequence": 6,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-25T13:09:34-04:00",
      "channel": "website",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/25/hurricane-helene-update-6-9-25-2024/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 7,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-25T18:30:59-04:00",
      "channel": "website",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/25/hurricane-helene-update-7-9-25-2024/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 8,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-26T06:37:11-04:00",
      "channel": "website",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/26/hurricane-helene-update-8-9-26-2024/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 9,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-26T13:13:38-04:00",
      "channel": "website",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/26/hurricane-helene-update-9-9-26-2024/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 10,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-26T18:31:19-04:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "UF ALERT UPDATE: Due to worsening conditions associated with Hurricane Helene, University of Florida offices in Gainesville will remain closed and classes will remain canceled through Friday, September 27. Offices will reopen and normal operations will resume at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 28. Helene is forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane in Florida's Big Bend region tonight. Shelter in place. Florida Fresh Dining continues operating. Updates: updates.emergency.ufl.edu.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/26/hurricane-helene-update-10-9-26-2024/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": [
        "UF ALERT operational notice for Helene campus closure/cancellation (official emergency updates)"
      ],
      "characterCount": 488
    },
    {
      "sequence": 11,
      "type": "resolution",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-27T07:00:19-04:00",
      "channel": "website",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/27/tropical-storm-helene-final-update-09-27-24/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 12,
      "type": "resolution",
      "timestamp": "2024-09-27T14:50:11-04:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "My fellow Gators,\n\n While we are still learning details regarding the extent of the damage left behind by Hurricane Helene, it is clear that our neighbors across the state are enduring significant damage and hardships. My prayers and deepest sympathies are with them.\n\n The University of Florida campus in Gainesville was spared, mostly experiencing minor damage from downed trees. We know that UF units throughout the state — especially UF/IFAS — have suffered more extensive damage.\n\n We are not aware of any injuries to UF personnel or students caused by the storm at this time. For that, I am extremely grateful. Our Gainesville campus will resume normal operations on Saturday, September 28.\n\n If you are a UF student or employee who has been affected financially by Hurricane Helene, please visit Aid-a-Gator and apply for a grant.\n\n I want to extend my sincere thanks to our campus staff who worked tirelessly overnight and through the storm to ensure the university and our facilities remained steady — from facility services staff, university police, and the emergency operations team, to dining and residence hall staff, to UF agricultural extension agents and UF Health staff members. This is a strong and resilient community.\n\n If you have not already, I encourage you all to check on your neighbors, friends and family.\n\n Warmly,\n\nKent\n\n Kent Fuchs, Interim President",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/27/message-regarding-helenes-aftermath/",
      "sourceDescription": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "annotations": [
        "Leadership aftermath message after Helene; Gainesville campus largely spared"
      ],
      "characterCount": 1380
    }
  ],
  "context": "[Hurricane Helene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Helene) made landfall on the evening of September 26, 2024 in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 140 mph, the strongest Big Bend strike on record. [The University of Florida](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Florida) announced its initial closure on the morning of September 25; the [UF Emergency Weather Updates page](https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/25/classes-canceled-campus-closed-thursday-due-to-hurricane-helene/) specified that offices would close and classes would be canceled beginning at 12:01 AM EDT on Thursday, September 26, with reopening initially set for 7:00 AM EDT Friday. As Helene strengthened more rapidly than forecast, UF [extended the closure through Friday, September 27, with offices reopening at 12:01 AM EDT on Saturday, September 28](https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/26/hurricane-helene-update-10-9-26-2024/). Residential students were directed to shelter in place; Florida Fresh Dining continued operating. The university also issued an unusual parking instruction: personal vehicles were excluded from UF Health garages so those spaces could be reserved for hospital employees on shift during the storm. Gainesville sits on the storm's weaker western side and sustained only scattered outages and debris; the Big Bend region (where FSU's Tallahassee campus and the FSU Panama City campus are located) and the Southern Appalachians (where multiple UNC-system and ASU institutions are located) bore the catastrophic damage.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "UF closed offices and canceled classes from 12:01 AM EDT Thursday, September 26 through 12:01 AM EDT Saturday, September 28, 2024",
    "The initial Wednesday announcement set reopening for Friday morning; UF extended the closure on Thursday afternoon as Helene rapidly intensified to Category 4",
    "Online classes and exams were canceled in addition to in-person instruction, a recurring UF practice in major-hurricane closures",
    "Residential students were directed to shelter in place; Florida Fresh Dining continued operating",
    "Personal vehicles were excluded from UF Health garages so those spaces could be reserved for hospital staff, a hospital-continuity measure unusual among campus hurricane messages",
    "Gainesville sat on Helene's weaker western side; the Big Bend and Southern Appalachians sustained the catastrophic damage"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Classes canceled, campus closed Thursday due to Hurricane Helene (UF Emergency Weather Updates, September 25, 2024)",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/25/classes-canceled-campus-closed-thursday-due-to-hurricane-helene/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Hurricane Helene, UPDATE #10, 9/26/2024 (UF Emergency Weather Updates)",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/26/hurricane-helene-update-10-9-26-2024/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Hurricane Helene, UPDATE #8, 9/26/2024 (UF Emergency Weather Updates)",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/26/hurricane-helene-update-8-9-26-2024/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Classes canceled, campus closed Thursday due to Hurricane Helene (UF News)",
      "url": "https://news.ufl.edu/2024/09/helene-cancellations/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Classes canceled, campus closed Thursday due to Hurricane Helene (UF Statements)",
      "url": "https://statements.ufl.edu/statements/2024/september/classes-canceled-campus-closed-thursday-due-to-hurricane-helene.html",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Hurricane Helene (Wikipedia)",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Helene",
      "type": "encyclopedia"
    },
    {
      "title": "Message regarding Helene's aftermath — UF Emergency Updates",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/27/message-regarding-helenes-aftermath/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/23/potential-tropical-cyclone-nine-update-1-2/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/24/t-s-helene-operations-class-schedule-update/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/24/tropical-storm-helene-update-4-9-24-2024/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/25/tropical-storm-helene-update-5-9-25-2024/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/25/hurricane-helene-update-6-9-25-2024/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/25/hurricane-helene-update-7-9-25-2024/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/26/hurricane-helene-update-9-9-26-2024/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "UF Emergency Updates (official)",
      "url": "https://updates.emergency.ufl.edu/2024/09/27/tropical-storm-helene-final-update-09-27-24/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "hurricane",
    "hurricane-helene",
    "campus-closure",
    "florida",
    "gainesville",
    "big-bend",
    "2024-hurricane-season",
    "online-classes-canceled",
    "shelter-in-place",
    "uf-health",
    "category-4"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-13",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-20",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}