Hurricane Helene: Georgia announces campus closure plan ahead of Alabama game

As Hurricane Helene moves up the Gulf Coast, Georgia has announced its campus closure plan. The main campus will shut down Sept. 26-27 as a result of the storm.

The timing of the closure will be ahead of Saturday’s highly anticipated game against Alabama, which will take place in Tuscaloosa – outside of the storm’s predicted path. Further updates will come Friday about services over the weekend.

Hurricane Helene is currently a Category 1 hurricane. It is predicted to strengthen to a Category 4 storm by the time it makes landfall Thursday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center.

UGA announces closure plans due to impact of Hurricane Helene.

With the safety and security of our faculty, staff and students foremost in our minds, the main campus of the University of Georgia will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 26 and Friday, Sept. 27.https://t.co/xlRLzppad7 pic.twitter.com/vfseb0iplE

— UGA (@universityofga) September 25, 2024

“All in-person classes, campus events and activities will be canceled during this time,” the announcement read. “Faculty members are strongly encouraged to consider alternative ways to maintain continuity of instruction at their discretion.

“All UGA residence halls will remain open. For on-campus residents in University Housing, please contact your community front desk or RA with any questions or concerns. If you become aware of any facilities-related problems, please report them. All dining halls will remain open. Campus Transit will continue normal operations until weather conditions make it unsafe to do so.”

As of 6:25 p.m. ET Wednesday evening, Hurricane Helene was over Cancún and tracking north. It is expected to continue up the Gulf of Mexico and eventually reach the Florida panhandle by Thursday evening or early Friday morning, according to The Weather Channel. From there, the track would move up toward Atlanta before moving into Tennessee, Kentucky and southern Illinois.

Hurricane Helene is causing disruptions across the Southeast ahead of Week 5, as meteorologist James Spann detailed earlier this week. For the Georgia-Alabama game, though, he expects some rain and maybe some wind – although nothing like hurricane strength.

Florida A&M and Alabama A&M also rescheduled their Saturday game as a result of the storm. In Tallahassee, which appears in the middle of the path, Mike Norvell said Florida State is weighing its next steps as the storm approaches.

“I feel good about the plans that we have,” Norvell said Tuesday. “I feel good about any potential adjustments, if necessary, but it’s something we’re absolutely tracking.”