Although it has been nearly eleven years since a hurricane has made landfall in Florida, the University of Central Florida is bracing for an extremely busy hurricane season–one that weather forecasters fear might bring the next “big one.”
An email sent by university President John Hitt listed the policies and procedures which would be enacted in the event of a hurricane threatening the community.
Hitt stated that in the event of a hurricane or large storm, he shared the authority to close campus along with Florida Governor Rick Scott.
UCF’s Severe Weather Plan encourages all non-essential personnel and students living on-campus to evacuate to their permanent homes in the event of a hurricane. Students and personnel who are unable to evacuate will be moved to a shelter area.
The last hurricane to make landfall in Florida was Hurricane Wilma in October 2005. At least two dozen deaths in Florida were directly and indirectly attributed to the storm.
