UCF can’t control the weather—but the university does monitor it and reminds you to prepare for hurricane season.
Hurricane season started June 1, so now is the perfect time to consider how prepared you are for a severe weather emergency and what your evacuation plans might be, said UCF’s Office of Emergency Management.
“We need to remember that it doesn’t matter if it’s going to be a busy or slow hurricane season, it only takes one storm to change our lives,” said Jeff Morgan, UCF’s Emergency Management director. “Early preparedness means that we have more time to react and put our emergency plans into place.”
UCF again has been named the nation’s largest “StormReady” university in the country, a National Weather Service designation that was first given to UCF in 2010. The voluntary recognition is valid for three years and can be renewed after that.
The title means that UCF is a leader in emergency preparedness. Some of the ways in which UCF is prepared include a 24-hour Emergency Operations Center that tracks severe weather; the ability to receive weather warnings from multiple sources; the capability to alert the public about severe weather news; and other public readiness promotion.
The Office of Emergency Management monitors weather using weather sensors, rain gauges and multiple Internet radar sources. The office communicates updates to the UCF community through UCF Alert text messages and emails, indoor and outdoor sirens, the UCF website, social media and more.
This summer, Emergency Management is launching a new listserv for students, faculty and staff by which they can receive severe weather bulletins as storms approach UCF’s campuses.
The listserv does not replace UCF Alert, which remains the first way the UCF community will be notified of an existing emergency or threat to UCF’s campuses. Rather, this listserv will notify those who sign up of potential weather-related threats to campus.
To subscribe, email listserv@listserv.cc.ucf.edu with “subscribe OEM-NOTICE” in the body of the message. The subject line should be left blank, and be sure to send the email from the address that to wish to receive emails to. To unsubscribe, follow the same instructions with “signoff OEM-NOTICE” in the body of the email.
Additional severe weather resources are available at www.emergency.ucf.edu/hurricanes.html. The website includes tips for hurricane preparedness, a guide for building an emergency kit, and instructions for seeking shelter.
Batteries, tarps, radios and other supplies that could be used in emergency kits and during hurricanes are tax-free from May 31 through June 8 as part of a tax holiday declared by Gov. Rick Scott.
Hurricane season will last until Nov. 30, but now’s the time to stock up on supplies, organize a plan for securing yourself, your property and your family, and prepare for the threat of a storm.
“While we hope to escape hurricanes this season, we are wise to prepare well and to educate ourselves in case an emergency occurs. I know I can count on you to help keep the UCF community safe,” said UCF President John C. Hitt.