As Tropical Storm Karen brews in the gulf, the University’s Emergency Operations Center was notified by its director, D’ann Morris, to be on standby as the storm develops over the next few days.
“Members of the EOC Core Committee are monitoring Tropical Storm Karen. A statement has been placed on the LSU home page. Please be on standby as it is possible the LSU EOC will activate,” Morris said in an email to the EOC team and core committee members.
All campus activities remain scheduled, according to an EOC message on the homepage.
The National Hurricane Center projects Tropical Storm Karen, now in the Yucatan Peninsula with winds of 65 mph, will move northeast, toward the bottom right edge of Louisiana and neighboring states Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
The storm could be at or approaching hurricane strength by Friday.
A hurricane watch is currently posted from Grand Isle, La. to Indian Pass, Florida, the NHS announced. A tropical storm watch is in effect for areas west of Grand Isle, including metropolitan New Orleans, Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain.
For now, Morris said the EOC is following standard protocol and that all weather updates will be posted on the University’s homepage, which Morris said students’ should be checking regularly.
“I encourage everyone to watch for local and state advisories as we head into the weekend. This is a good time for you to check your emergency supplies and review your emergency plans,” said Kevin Davis, Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
In the event that the tropical storm develops into a hurricane, the University’s Pete Marivich Assembly Center could be used as a shelter for qualified, special needs individuals, Morris said.