What does your student do as far as emergency preparedness goes? Do they have packs with basic food, water, first aid and other supplies? Do most schools have generators at the dorms? For those with students in Florida right now (for example), what are the schools doing for the students who can’t evacuate? I feel like we have thought about things at home, but I haven’t really thought about what will happen when D goes away next year. Suggestions?
My son’s dorm at UF never lost power during Hermine, though we did (not far away). I’m guessing our power company prioritizes UF (?). Some of the dorms have generators, too, or so I have heard.
It is a very good idea for your student to have a flashlight, back-up batteries, and a back-up power pack for his/her phone. It’s also good to have a contingency plan on how to get to the grocery store for easy-to-prep food in the event the dining halls close.
Most schools have been doing this stuff for a long time, and are truly pretty good at handling them (notwithstanding something very unusual, obviously).
It is a good thing to think through before your child heads to college.
We’re in CA now touring colleges and wondering what they do for earthquake…
I know my D had to fill out something indicating where she would go in the event of an evacuation (Loyola-NO). We don’t live too far, so we would go get her. They actually have a document on their website with some guidelines about what the school will do in various situation, and what students should do.
it is interesting you bring that up…I often wonder that myself what schools do/would do…I guess different schools and situations different responses.
My kid keeps bottled water in her room in CA. She was keeping some granola bars, but not sure if she still has them. She has a small first aid kit.
Both son’s attend CA schools. Each as an Emergency backpack with water/snacks/batteries and such in their apartment and also one in the cars. Each school does have an emergency notification system and preparedness plan which can be located on their safety website.
At Pomona students are given something called a “Go Bag” that they are supposed to tailor to their own invidivdual needs, such as with medications. http://catalog.pomona.edu/content.php?catoid=19&navoid=4023#Emergency___Safety
@PrimeMeridian my kid went to college in CA. There were many earthquakes while she was there…but on,y two thwt were significant enough to merit attention. The school had a very good plan. All of the dorms were built to earthquake standards and none were more than 4 stories. Classes were cancelled…and students sent to their dorms.
DS went to school in Boston. They lost power a number of times. The only real PITA was that the dorm elevators didn’t work. But the school made sure the students were warm enough and had plenty of food.
College of Charleston mom here. Our Govenor ordered a mandatory evacuation of Charleston County by Wednesday at 3:00. Monday we received an email from CofC to update the student’s evacuation plan online. At 3:00 Tues, the mandatory evacuation plan was announced. I went to pick up my son and a classmate to bring home. By the time that I got to his dorm a little after 8:00pm, there were only 10 students left in the dorm. Everyone worked together. People offering rides out of the low country into the upstate area, people offering rooms, notifying people where to get gas and supplies. The College had arranged for buses to evacuate students on Wed morning to University of SC. President McConnell met with each student before they were evacuated Wed morning. Only 50 students required evacuation. They will be staying in residence halls at University of SC until it’s safe to return. The school closed at 2:00 yesterday. I can’t say how impressed I am with how well the whole plan worked. Now we wait . Good luck to everyone waiting it out.
@SouthFloridaMom9 UF has it’s own 47-megawatt cogeneration plant on Mowry Road near the Health Science Center. It also maintains two standby boilers in the Rabon Plant. They are operated by Duke Energy, under contract with UF. You, on the other hand, have to deal with GRU. 
In general, these campuses are built to last. 
^^wow interesting info @Gator88NE! No wonder my son was luxuriating in power and wifi during Hermine, while we were sweating it out. Thank you!
Grrrr . . . they make me miss FPL. 
Thanks…these are interesting comments. We have looked at the 72 hour backpacks at Costco. We never thought about evacuations…we will have to take that into consideration as we finalize her list.
One of my kid’s school was in the Sandy path originally but the storm didn’t hit them with as full wallop although they had tons of rain, downed trees, power outage, etc.
The school had the kids shelter in place and had them pick up a couple days worth of food/drink before the brunt of the storm hit. The school has back up generators. Many messages went out telling the students to stay inside with the biggest concern been hit with falling and windblown branches.
My daughter is currently evacuated (self) to Orlando from the space coast. The school basically cancelled classes from 1 pm on Wednesday through Tuesday (they already had Monday and Tuesday off for a mimi break), told those living off campus to follow county recommendations which were to evacuate, and told those in the dorms to follow instructions from housing. Since my daughter isn’t in housing I don’t know what they were told.
Both my daughter’s sorority and her athletic team coaches have a check off plan, contact every member and made sure they have a plan to evacuate. Because of the mini break and the Jewish holiday, many kids already had plans to leave town, and they just went early. Daughter is with her boyfriend and his brother, and the boys want to drive home to NJ for the week. Daughter wants to fly home but doesn’t think school will be cancelled next week I think it will be.
Where she was most unprepared is that she rents a house, and no landlord told them what to do. They don’t know how to board it up, but I did tell them to unplug everything, to not leave food in the fridge, to bring everything inside even door mats and stuff in the yard. They did buy a case of water, took their food, but there isn’t much else they could do.
Her boyfriend has a car, so they are lucky. The school has a lot of foreign students who do not, but I assume they are in county shelters or with friends.
I always feel badly for and worry about those who don’t have money or other resources in times like this.
“I always feel badly for and worry about those who don’t have money or other resources in times like this.”
So true. I remember during Katrina, one of the secretaries at the firm had a brother in NOLA and the firm arranged for him to get out and gave the family a ton of assistance, housing, clothing etc… His neighbors without this kind of connection to resources fared poorly. The firm also helped several students who were children of attorneys staff or clients get into other schools after deciding to leave Tulane. You realize how lucky you are to have resources and how hard it would be without them.
Yes, today while getting gas a small family with a toddler approached me asking questions about what shelters are still accepting families with children. I forget about the impact these natural disasters have on the homeless.
I am fortunate that on the way from work I was able to think and say “Yeah, let me fill up the tank and might as well buy five days of non-perishable food, just to be safe.”
As the storm continues to crawl up the coast I would like to share a some thought…
I am completely shocked that some parents would encourage their children to drive across state to the east coast so their child will be with them during the hurricane. I understand worrying about your family and how ultimately it would be great to be with each other for support, but to encourage your child Thursday night to travel to Jacksonville, Daytona, Vero Beach, or any other coastal city is shocking to me, especially when the student isn’t in an affected area.
Me too @doschicos . . . have some family who can’t afford a $400-500 hit on their budget for hotel rooms, meals out,etc.