The National Weather Service has issued an updated alert regarding Hurricane Francine. At 1:00pm, Hurricane Francine was located 95 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph. This general motion should continue through this afternoon, and Francine is anticipated to make landfall in Louisiana within the warning area later this afternoon or this evening. After landfall, the center is expected to cross southeastern Louisiana tonight, then move northward across Mississippi on Thursday and Thursday night. Little change in strength is expected before landfall. Francine is expected to rapidly weaken after landfall, and the system is forecast to become post-tropical on Thursday.
The highest potential for severe weather remains in southeast Mississippi. For the Cleveland area tonight and tomorrow, 2-4 inches of rain, with localized flash flooding, is possible. Wind gusts between 30-45 miles per hour are also expected through tomorrow, with potential for power outages, downed trees and powerlines. Click here for updated weather information.
At this time, Delta State University plans to continue normal university operations on Thursday, September 12. Normal operations mean that all university employees are working at their assigned work locations, all university facilities are operational, buildings are open based on normal operating hours, students are attending classes based upon the mode of instruction for their courses, and campus activities are proceeding as scheduled.
If weather conditions worsen, another campus update will be sent by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. Updates and notifications of campus status will also be available at www.deltastate.edu, the university’s Facebook page (facebook.com/deltastateuniversity), and through the Okra Alert Emergency System.
Those students and employees facing travel issues on Thursday, September 12, should contact their instructors or supervisor. Students, faculty, and staff should continue to monitor weather conditions and exercise caution and good judgment when traveling.
Decisions regarding scheduled athletic events will be posted on the Delta State Athletics website (www.gostatesmen.com) and social media outlets.
For the status of other scheduled university events, please contact the event’s sponsor.
If you have not registered your cell phone number for emergency Okra Alert texts, please register:
- Log in to your “DSU Online Services” account: http://www.deltastate.edu/portal
- Choose the “Personal Information” section and add your cell phone to the cell/emergency text messaging field.
