Hurricane Irma: University Of Tampa Extends Closure

TAMPA, FL — University of Tampa students are getting at least a week-long break courtesy of Hurricane Irma. The university on Sept. 6 said it would close ahead of the storm and remain shuttered through Monday, Sept. 11. On Saturday, university officials said the closure is being extended to Thursday, Sept 14. The shutdown includes classes, athletic events and other activities. It also affects the Plant Museum.

The university does intend to keep essential campus services up and running, an email from UT said. Those include dining services, campus safety, residence life and facilities management.

School officials said classes and normal university operations will resume Thursday, Sept. 14. University staff are expected to report to work on Wednesday, Sept. 13, so that preparations for classes can be accomplished.

The extended closure gives UT students, faculty and staff extra time to return to Tampa if they have evacuated, officials said. (For more hurricane news or local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Tampa Patch, and click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The University will regularly post updates at www.ut.edu/weather.

Watch: Another Powerful Hurricane Is Taking Aim At The US

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Hurricane Irma was on a collision course with the Virgin Islands late Wednesday morning, packing maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. The potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm’s track shifted in the overnight hours to include almost the entire Florida Peninsula. Her projected path shows has her impacting the Florida peninsula late in the weekend and early on Monday.

• Also see: Hurricane Irma Closing In On Florida

By Wednesday morning, hurricane-force winds extended out from Irma by 50 miles from the center. Tropical storm-force winds were extending outward by 185 miles.

While it’s still too early to tell the precise impacts Irma might have on Florida or the United States, forecasters say she bears close monitoring. Irma is expected to remain a major hurricane through the week. The threat Irma poses to Florida prompted Gov. Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency on Monday. The declaration includes all 67 counties within the Sunshine State.

Image via the National Hurricane Center