US universities continuously issue warnings and update student shelters to avoid Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton has extremely strong winds, up to 200km/h. The storm made landfall, causing torrential rain, combined with dangerous winds, increasing the risk of localized flash floods, threatening the lives and property of people in areas directly affected by the storm.

Milton is the second hurricane to make direct landfall in Florida in the past two weeks. Hurricane Helene previously caused damage to people and property in many US states, killing more than 220 people.

Universities in the state of Florida and surrounding areas have continuously issued warnings for students to choose safe and suitable solutions for themselves.

The University of South Florida has plans to support its nearly 50,000 students ahead of Hurricane Milton (Photo: USF).

The University of South Florida, located in Tampa, Florida, which was directly affected by Hurricane Milton, has made careful preparations to help its nearly 50,000 students have a plan to safely avoid the storm.

The University of South Florida canceled classes before the storm hit. The school announced the closure of all dormitories and asked students to evacuate to safe areas according to a list provided by the school.

These locations are specifically stated in the email sent to students, along with detailed requirements for each shelter location so that students can find a suitable shelter.

In an email sent to students earlier this week, the school listed locations that do not allow pets or that require students to provide their own food and safety standards for their pets. The school also provided a list of locations that only accept people with disabilities or those with special health requirements.

The school also recommends that students proactively bring basic personal items when staying at shelters, including sleeping bags, common medications, and personal hygiene items.

However, students are advised not to bring too many things to the shelter, because each individual is only allowed to use an area of ​​2 square meters. Students are absolutely not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages, stimulants and weapons into the shelter.

The University of South Florida Library, a school located in an area directly affected by Hurricane Milton (Photo: USF).

Both schools and local authorities have stressed that seeking shelter is a last resort if students have no other options.

If students have the opportunity to move to a safe area with a relative or friend’s house or a hotel or motel outside the danger zone, they should consider prioritizing these solutions. This will reduce the pressure on shelters.

In preparation for the storm, areas heavily affected by the storm have free evacuation buses that run directly to shelters that have been announced by the authorities. Students can use these buses to proactively travel and save on travel costs.

University parking lots remain open, despite the closure of schools and residence halls. Many parking lots in non-flood risk areas are also available for free parking for residents in high-risk areas during Milton. Students are encouraged to find parking spaces that are safe for their personal belongings.

The school has been continuously posting storm announcements on its official social media pages, website, and emails to students. After the storm has passed its dangerous phase, depending on the situation, classes will gradually resume.

The administrators of schools in the area affected by Hurricane Milton, such as Hillsborough College and the University of Central Florida, have also announced that classes will be suspended until at least the end of this Friday.

The school administrators announced that all assignments assigned to students will be postponed until at least next Monday (October 14), so that students can rest assured to carry out their storm avoidance plans.

University of Central Florida dorms open to all students during Hurricane Milton (Photo: UCF).

The University of Central Florida's administration has determined that its dormitories are safe for students to stay in, so they will keep them open throughout Hurricane Milton.

All students of the school, whether living in dormitories or not, if they want to seek safe shelter, can temporarily stay during the storm.

"We made this decision in the best interest of the safety of our community," a University of Central Florida spokesperson said. "We will continue to monitor weather forecasts and provide updates as necessary."

Florida A&M University and the University of Florida have even suspended classes until the middle of next week, so students can get their lives back on track after the storm, before returning to school.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/dh-my-lien-tuc-ra-canh-bao-cap-nhat-noi-tru-an-sinh-vien-tranh-bao-milton-20241010105811056.htm