October 27, 2012 | Richard Gray & Mun Choi

Preparations for Hurricane Sandy

For updates about the hurricane, check the UConn home page, and register your cell phone if you have not already done so, at alert.uconn.edu.

To the University Community:

The University is closely monitoring Hurricane Sandy as it moves toward the Northeast U.S.

The following information pertains to STORRS, AVERY POINT, GREATER HARTFORD, STAMFORD, TORRINGTON, WATERBURY, and the LAW SCHOOL campuses.

Due to inclement weather, all morning, afternoon, and evening classes are canceled on Monday, Oct. 29.

All “Emergency Support Services” are required to report as scheduled. All other employees are not required to report to work on Monday, Oct. 29.

Continue to check http://alert.uconn.edu, the emergency information hotline (860-486-3768), or the media for any changes to this announcement.

Dining halls, Student Health Services, the Student Union, and other services will also operate as regularly scheduled.

As the storm’s track and potential impact are determined in coming days, any changes will be communicated via email and the UConn home page, as they would in advance of a winter storm.

However, the possibility of power outages or other damage in Storrs and elsewhere in Connecticut may make this message impossible to send or receive during this weather event and its aftermath. In light of this, the University will also utilize our alert system to communicate this information via text message to cell phones.

If you have not registered your cell phone with the University, please visit alert.uconn.edu and do so immediately. Information will also be provided on the University’s smartphone app, myUConn, which can be downloaded at my.uconn.edu.

Updates will also be posted on the University’s Alert page and on UConn Today.

Text messages, the news media, and UConn’s Facebook page and Twitter feeds may be the only reliable avenues of communication if power is lost, so please ensure your mobile devices are fully charged heading into Monday and Tuesday.

Severe weather conditions can prompt wireless Internet connection difficulties, potentially preventing users from accessing the University’s Alert page and other online resources.

Users are advised to shut off the wireless access capabilities on their smartphones, tablets, and other devices if they experience connection failures during any severe weather, and to either use their carrier’s data plan or Internet service through a connecting cable.

Employees should shut off all lights, computers, and other appliances before leaving work Friday.

In case of a power outage, people also may call the University’s 24-hour emergency information line on the Storrs campus: 860-486-3768. Telephone numbers for information about closings on other campuses are included at the end of this message.

In case of inclement weather, Public Safety and Facilities Operations offer the following preparation and post-storm information:

  • When outside after a storm passes, always assume all power lines are “live.” Do not go near any fallen power lines, or trees touching fallen power lines, as they can be extremely dangerous.
  • Do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can make you fall. If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving.
  • Consider moving valuable items such as books, files, papers, etc., from known or suspected sources of leaks. Cover valuable items with plastic in high-risk spaces, such as near windows. Consider equipment that is powered by electricity and about what steps need to be taken to protect that equipment.
  • If a piece of electronic equipment is wet, do not use it.
  • Any equipment and/or laboratory work that might be affected by a power outage should be shut down, and if lab research is being considered, it should be postponed until after the storm passes. If lab research is in process, proper preparations need to be taken to deal with likely power outages.
  • Keep in mind that the ability to travel may be limited. Off-campus students as well as faculty and staff might not be able to get to campus during or immediately following the storm, depending on its intensity and whether any damage has occurred.
  • Keep batteries charged on flashlights, radios and phones.

The University will continue communicating information as it becomes available.

In addition to the 24-hour emergency information line at Storrs, people seeking information about closures at regional campuses during power outages may call the following numbers:

  • Avery Point: 860-405-9000 / 9020
  • Greater Hartford: 860- 570-9327
  • School of Law: 860-570-5145
  • Stamford: 203-251-8524
  • Torrington: 860-626-6808
  • Waterbury: 203-236-9800

Richard Gray
Executive Vice President for Administration & Chief Financial Officer

Mun Choi
Interim Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs