September 11, 2018

Campus Hurricane Preparation

As Hurricane Florence takes aim at the southern Atlantic coastline, Governor Larry Hogan has declared a state of emergency for the state of Maryland as a precaution to prepare for the uncertainty of the storm track. Bowie State University has also begun precautionary preparations across the campus. We will closely monitor the storm’s progression to assess the development of potential threats. I encourage all students, faculty and staff who have not signed up this year for our Bowie Electronic Emergency System (BEES) to do so immediately. Any changes to operation of the university will first be communicated via email and text message through this system.

Our first priority is to maintain the safety of all members of the campus community. Decisions about suspending normal operations will be made in a timely manner when weather predictions for central Maryland become clearer. Please begin to think about steps you can take to prepare for extended power outages or possibly closing the campus. Employees should take care to log off and power down computers at the end of the day during this period to protect against data loss or other damage. In offices that may flood any computers on the floor should be placed onto furniture.

Residential students should follow the instructions of Residence Life staff on preparing for possible emergency actions. We will work to assure a safe place for all students residing on campus.

Everyone should monitor news and weather reports to keep abreast of changes in weather conditions. Please note tips for weathering the storm (pdf). We will communicate any needed actions that the campus community should take at the appropriate time.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.