Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Posted at 11 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010: The National Weather Service issued a Tropical Storm Warning for the Wilmington area, including UNCW, related to Hurricane Earl. A Tropical Storm Warning was issued because it is possible that the area will receive some tropical storm force winds as Earl passes by the N.C. coast.

At this time, the university is maintaining normal operations and classes will continue as scheduled. Should travel to campus become a concern at any time, students should use their best judgment and notify their professors if unable to attend class. Faculty and staff should contact their supervisors with similar concerns.

Earl is currently a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph tracking toward the East coast. National Hurricane Center models indicate the storm will make an anticipated shift to the north on Thursday, moving it away from the N.C. coastline. Wilmington is expected to experience 20-25 mile per hour winds with the potential for tropical storm force gusts Thursday afternoon and into Friday. Rainfall amounts of less than a quarter inch are anticipated. UNCW will continue to monitor Hurricane Earl as it approaches and take necessary action should conditions change. Students are encouraged to solidify plans in case the storm approaches and action is necessary, and to notify their parents of their plans.

Hurricane Earl is causing significant rip current danger on the coastline, which will continue throughout the week. It is recommended to avoid swimming in the Atlantic at this time. For more information, visit: http://www.uncw.edu/ba/safety/RipCurrents.html.

For updates on Hurricane Earl, monitor the UNCW homepage, www.uncw.edu/alert, the UNCW Alert Emergency Information Hotline at 910.962.3991 or 888.657.5751 and local media. Status updates will be provided as conditions warrant.

For further information:
UNCW Alert Tools: http://sites.google.com/site/uncwalert/Home/uncw-alert-tools
National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
National Weather Service, Wilmington Office: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/ilm

UNCW Hurricane Page: http://www.uncw.edu/ba/safety/HOP.htm