You are here: American University Finance Communications Hurricane Florence Preparations

Memorandum September 11, 2018

To: American University Community

From: Doug Kudravetz, CFO, Vice President and Treasurer

Subject: Hurricane Florence Preparations

As most of you know, Hurricane Florence is headed toward the East Coast of the U.S. We will continue to monitor the storm’s progress and prepare for it. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has , as have Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. While it is not certain when and where it will make landfall and what its effect may be, we are focused on the safety and well-being of the AU community and we will adjust schedules and operations as needed.

While we are preparing for the storm, our thoughts are with those who have loved ones in the areas likely to be impacted by the storm.

We also want to make sure everyone in the AU community is safe, understands the university’s weather operating policies, and is familiar with our methods of communication. To make sure that you receive all AU weather-related or emergency communications, please:

If you have general questions about emergency preparedness at American University, you also can send an email to prepared@american.edu. We have weather-related safety tips on the AU Emergency Preparedness web site, where you can make sure you are prepared by following the university’s guidelines on emergency procedures, charging your cell phone, avoiding high water walking or in a car, and having plenty of batteries and water on hand.

Our AU Safety and Security Services staff will be available and can assist in an emergency situation. For an on-campus emergency, call x3636 or on your smartphone.

Our Facilities staff will be working. Currently, they are in the process of preparing buildings and systems and will be available to address facility-related problems. If you encounter a facilities problem, please call 2FIX (x2349).

We also recommend monitoring federal government web sites to track information about Hurricane Florence. These include:

  • (the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA); and
  • of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA).

We do expect the university to be open this week for general operations, classes, and scheduled events. However, that may change, and campus officials will communicate changes as necessary. We will continue to monitor Hurricane Florence closely and will make decisions about university operations based on the severity of the storm and its impact to our university.