All University of Southern Mississippi Operations to Close at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 18
Thu, 04/18/2019 - 08:03am
All University of Southern Mississippi campuses and teaching sites will close on Thursday, April 18 at 1 p.m., due to a severe weather system that is expected to move through south Mississippi on Thursday afternoon and evening. Thursday afternoon and evening classes will not meet, and University offices will be closed.
The system could bring damaging winds in excess of 70 miles per hour, tornadic activity and rain that could result in localized flash flooding. Local residents and visitors are asked to remain aware that these conditions may make some streets impassable or hazardous to navigate.
Students, faculty and staff in south Mississippi are advised to limit travel on Thursday afternoon and evening while the storm passes through the area. If the storm system does impact your area, please proceed with caution when traveling by vehicle or foot.
Motorists are reminded to use caution during times of heavy rain and not enter flooded areas. Please review the list of areas on our campuses that are prone to flooding. In case of a tornado warning, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) recommends that individuals take precautions. Please review MEMA's recommendations for what to do in case of a tornado warning.
University officials remain in contact with local emergency management agencies on the Gulf Coast and in Hattiesburg and will continue monitoring weather conditions surrounding this system. The University community is also encouraged to continue to closely monitor local media outlets for updated information as the storm approaches.
Should a tornado warning or severe flooding impact USM locations, the Eagle Alert emergency communication system will be activated. Please take a moment to check your contact information in the Eagle Alert system at https://www.usm.edu/safety/eagle-alert.
The Fresh Food Company will remain open until 8 p.m.; all other Eagle Dining options will close at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 18. For Eagle Dining hours during the holiday weekend, visit https://usm.campusdish.com/LocationsAndMenus.
Normal University operations are expected to resume on Monday, April 22. Classes will resume as scheduled on Tuesday, April 23.