Hurricane Plan

Although rare, living on the Texas Coast does come with the risk of being affected by a tropical storm or hurricane.  The University has a Hurricane/Tropical Storm Defense plan in place.  Students and their families should review the plan, so they know what to expect if a storm is headed toward the greater Corpus Christi area.

If a storm’s track brings it near Corpus Christi, the University will monitor the storm and send updates to students through Islander email.  Students can sign up for text notifications and add another email address through SAIL.

The University will make a decision on how to respond to the storm based on several factors, including the size, strength and speed of the storm, time of day that rain/wind is expected to begin, estimated storm surge, and projected storm path.  It is imperative that you follow ALL University instructions during a tropical storm. 

Options

When a storm is likely to affect Corpus Christi, the University may issue one of several orders, including: 

Delayed start/early closure – for weak storms, the University may decide to either delay the opening of campus or to close campus early so students and employees can safely travel or stay at home.  Islander Housing will be open (offices will close as stated in the notice) and residents can remain in their room.

Shelter in place/Voluntary Evacuation – residents could be asked to either shelter in place in their room or they can voluntarily evacuate.  Campus will close for a short period of time, including food services.  

Mandatory Evacuation – all residents must leave campus by the specified day and time, preferably to a city that is not in the storm's projected path.  Campus will completely shut down. Only emergency personnel are allowed to remain on-campus during the evacuation.  No residents may stay on either campus (Island or Momentum) during an evacuation.  The University will send periodic updates through Islander email, text (Code Blue), and social media.  Residents will be notified of the specific day and time they are able to return to campus by Islander Housing.

When a Mandatory Evacuation is announced, residents have two options: leave on their own (in their own or a family/friend's car) or evacuate with the University.  The best option is for residents to leave on their own.

Important note: Residents with emotional support animals (ESA) and pets may not bring their animals to an evacuation shelter and must make other plans for the evacuation.  ESAs and pets cannot be left in housing for any reason during a mandatory evacuation.  Service dogs are permitted at the evacuation shelter.  

University Assisted Resident Mandatory Evacuation

• When RESIDENTSof either Miramar or Momentum Village do not have any options to leave the city, the University will evacuate them to either Texas A&M International University in Laredo or to Palo Alto College in San Antonio (the University makes the decision on which campus to utilize).  Residents evacuating with the University will travel by bus to the designated evacuation site. Cars may not be driven to the evacuation site.  Residents will sleep on the floor of the campus gym.  Residents must provide their own linens (pillow, blanket, sheets, towels), toiletries, medications, and other necessities.  They will be informed of what to specifically bring when an evacuation is announced.  Residents may only bring 1 suitcase and 1 personal sized bag, such as a backpack.  Meals are provided during the evacuation.
• During the evacuation, residents are not allowed to temporarily leave the site for any reason.  Residents may permanently check out of the evacuation site but will not be allowed to return.
• University employees will accompany the students.
• Residents will not return to campus until University Officials indicate it is safe to return. 
• Additional details will be provided on the Islander Housing homepage in the event of an evacuation. Information will also be distributed through Islander email and Code Blue.  
• Non-residents must evacuate on their own or through city/county evacuation centers.  Only Islander Housing residents may evacuate with University Assisted Mandatory Resident Evacuation. 

Learn More

The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 thru November 30 each year, with August and September being peak times for the Gulf Coast.  Of course, this covers most of the fall semester, so it's very important for new students to become familiar with hurricane preparation and develop an evacuation plan.

The National Hurricane Center provides great educational information on emergency preparation, current tropical status, and so much more.  The best thing any coastal resident can do is educate themselves on hurricanes so they are prepared before there is a storm threat.

Local resources:

Nueces County Office of Emergency Management - follow them on Twitter

City of Corpus Christi Office of Emergency Management - follow them on Twitter

National Weather Service - Corpus Christi - follow them on Twitter