Hurricane Helene Update for Friday at 8 a.m.

Classes will resume and the DeLand campus will return to normal operations at 9 a.m. Classes regularly scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. will start at 9 a.m. today. 

Please use caution, as the local area remains under a wind advisory until 11 a.m.  

Students who are unable to return to campus for Friday classes should communicate with their professors. Professors are encouraged to use flexibility and discretion. 

Faculty and staff should communicate with their supervisor if they face challenges returning to campus by 9 a.m. Supervisor flexibility is encouraged.

The air-conditioning in Conrad Hall is not currently functioning and Facilities Management is working as quickly as possible to repair it. There are also a few downed trees on campus.

This is the final update for Hurricane Helene from Stetson’s Emergency Management Team. 

Hurricane Helene Update Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

Stetson University’s Emergency Management Team met this evening and is issuing an update to the community. Keep up with the latest updates through your Stetson email, on Stetson Today and Stetson’s Facebook and Instagram pages.     

Hurricane Helene update 
The DeLand area is expected to experience its most significant impacts from Hurricane Helene tonight into Friday morning. Peak tropical storm-force winds are now expected to leave the local area between 5 and 7 a.m. Friday. 

Classes Resume / Campus Reopening at 9 a.m. Friday 
Due to the changing weather forecast, the DeLand campus will reopen and classes will resume at 9 a.m. on Friday.  

The delayed opening will provide the Facilities Management staff with time to assess campus conditions during daylight and ensure academic and administrative buildings are free from hazards. 

The Emergency Management Team will meet early Friday morning and send an update reconfirming the 9 a.m. opening.  

Students who left campus for safety reasons and cannot return for Friday classes should communicate with their professors. Each situation is case-specific, but flexibility and discretion are encouraged.  

Faculty and staff who face challenges returning to campus Friday at 9 a.m. and need to work remotely should communicate with their supervisor. Supervisor flexibility and discretion are encouraged. 

With the later start time, dining hours will begin at 8 a.m. Friday for the Lynn Dining Commons, the Coffee Shop, and Einstein Bros. Bagels. 

Students on Campus 
Due to the worsening weather conditions, students are encouraged to remain inside their residence halls through tomorrow morning. If a residence hall loses power for an extended period, students may be asked to relocate to the Lynn Business Center or the CUB, which both operate on generators when the power goes out. 

Students who have remained on campus are asked to fill out the What’s Your Plan form in the Housing Central portal. 

For questions or concerns, contact Public Safety 24 hours a day at 386-822-7300. 

Stetson’s Emergency Management Team will meet again Friday at 7:30 a.m. and send an update reconfirming the 9 a.m. reopening of campus and start of classes. 

Hurricane Helene Update Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Weather conditions on the DeLand campus are beginning to worsen as Hurricane Helene moves north in the Gulf of Mexico toward the Florida Panhandle. 

A tornado alert was issued for our area and cleared at 4:45 p.m. A large tree fell outside Emily Hall and is blocking Emily Lane at Pennsylvania Avenue. The roadway is closed.

The outer bands of the hurricane are expected to begin moving through our area this evening and continue overnight. 

Stetson Public Safety strongly encourages students to get their meals now from the Lynn Dining Commons and return to their residence halls. They should avoid moving about campus and remain in place until the morning.

The area remains under a Tropical Storm Warning until 5 a.m. on Friday. More tornado alerts may be issued. In those cases:

• Stay indoors

• Keep away from the windows

For the latest information about the storm, please check the National Hurricane Center.    

If you have questions or concerns, call Public Safety 24 hours a day at 386-822-7300.

Hurricane Helene Update, 5 p.m. Sept. 25

Stetson University’s Emergency Management Team met this afternoon and is issuing one update to the community. Keep up with the latest updates through your Stetson email, on Stetson Today and Stetson’s Facebook and Instagram pages.      

Campus closed / Classes canceled Thursday 

With the closure of the DeLand campus on Thursday, access to academic, administrative and athletic buildings will be restricted to only faculty and staff.

Residential buildings will remain open and students are encouraged to remain indoors during the storm.  

The CUB will be open for students by card-swipe access, and the Lynn Dining Commons will operate with normal dining hours on Thursday. In addition, students will have access to the Lynn Business Center (LBC) by card-swipe. The CUB and the LBC both operate on generators when the power goes out. 

Hurricane Helene  

There have been no changes to the forecast track for Hurricane Helene this afternoon. For the latest information about the storm, please check the National Hurricane Center.    

For questions or concerns, contact Public Safety 24 hours a day at 386-822-7300. 

Stetson’s Emergency Management Team will meet again late Thursday to assess campus conditions and provide an update on the expected reopening of campus and return to classes on Friday. 

Hurricane Helene Update for Sept. 25 at 11:30 a.m. 

Stetson University’s Emergency Management Team met this morning and is issuing an update to the community. Keep up with the latest updates through your Stetson email, on Stetson Today and Stetson’s Facebook and Instagram pages.    

Hurricane Helene  
Helene strengthened into a hurricane this morning and potentially could reach the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend late Thursday. According to the National Hurricane Center and the Volusia County Emergency Operations Center, the current forecast track would keep the hurricane west of Central Florida, but the DeLand area is expected to receive 1 to 4 inches of rain beginning late Wednesday and throughout the day Thursday. Sustained winds of 30 mph are expected, with possible wind gusts topping 60 mph and a threat of tornadoes before the storm moves north out of our area.  

For the latest information about Hurricane Helene, please check the National Hurricane Center.    

Classes Canceled Thursday / Campus Closed 
Due to the weather forecast, the DeLand campus will cease normal operations on Thursday, and all Thursday classes are canceled. The university expects to reopen on Friday, but the Emergency Management Team will meet Thursday evening to assess campus conditions and send another update to the community. 

Residential Buildings   
Residential buildings will remain open, and students are encouraged to remain indoors during times of stormy weather. If students move around campus, they should use good judgment and extra caution, weather permitting, to ensure their safety.    

Please be aware that students in the residential buildings may lose electricity, Wi-Fi and cell phone service during the storm. If residence halls, which use card access, lose power for an extended period of time, students may be asked to relocate to the Carlton Union Building (CUB) or Lynn Business Center (LBC), as weather conditions allow, because the CUB and LBC both operate on generators when the power goes out.    

For more tips, visit Stetson’s Power Outage webpage.   

After the storm passes, students should use extreme caution when they are navigating campus because there may be downed utilities, major debris, and downed and damaged trees in the area.   

Campus Services  

• The Lynn Dining Commons will remain open Thursday with normal dining hours beginning at 7:00 a.m. Students are encouraged to eat early before the impact of the storm arrives. Other food services (the Coffee Shop, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Hatter StrEats) will be closed.  
  • Students on meal plans can use an additional to-go meal swipe and take an extra meal back to their residence hall. 
  • For these extra to-go meals, Stetson Dining will provide an eco-friendly to-go container at no cost during breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is normally a one-time fee for the container, but they will waive the fee during service Thursday. 

• Access to campus buildings will be by card-swipe only on Thursday. 
• The Hollis Center will be closed Thursday.  
• The duPont-Ball Library will be closed Thursday.  
• All athletic facilities (Athletic Training Center, Edmunds Center, Wilson Athletic Center) will be closed on Thursday. 
• All campus offices will be closed, but some essential personnel will remain on campus Thursday, such as staff from Public Safety, Facilities Management, Stetson Dining, and Residential Living & Learning, including Resident Assistants. 
• Public Safety is available 24 hours a day to provide assistance. Call 386-822-7300. 

Employees 
Employees, other than essential employees, are not expected to work Thursday as a result of the campus closure. They will receive pay for regularly scheduled hours when the campus is closed. Please note that employees who had previously scheduled vacation time should still use vacation hours for that day.   

Non-exempt employees deemed essential and required to physically work on campus will receive emergency pay per our policy. For specific questions, please refer to the Emergency Pay policy or ask Payroll at [email protected]. 

Stetson Monitoring Tropical Storm Helene, Sept. 24, 1:30 p.m.

We are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Helene and the forecast track as it moves toward the Gulf of Mexico, where it is expected to strengthen and potentially reach the Gulf Coast of Florida late Thursday.

Stetson’s Emergency Management Team will assess the potential impacts to the DeLand campus and send updates to students, faculty and staff via their Stetson email. 

The updates also will be posted on Stetson Today, and on Stetson’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Now is the time to review personal emergency plans and prepare to launch them if it becomes necessary. Public Safety’s Severe Weather Guide, starting on page 8, provides tips and information to prepare for hurricanes.

You can keep up with Tropical Storm Helene updates at the National Hurricane Center.