Hurricane Irene本来跟我没关系，但是习惯性地浏览了一下普林的主页，被吸引。连续关注了几天，看飓风来之前，学校是怎样备战。

 

不知道梅超风来时，相关的部门是否给民众发布过如此详细的紧急应对信息？

 

事后普林的老友来访，问了一下当时的情况，被告知没有大问题--仅仅是Carnegie Lake一下子波涛汹涌，还把Alexander Road上的桥给没过了一段，除此之外，无异常。

 

从某些人看来，也许普林斯顿大学为了这么一场虚惊封校好几天，实在是大惊小怪。但这正是天灾不会演变成人祸的原因。灾难发生之后的应急远远不如预防灾难更重要。

 

3:48 A.M. AUG. 28 UPDATE - University closed for non-essential staff during Hurricane Irene Posted August 28, 2011; 03:48 a.m. share a2a_linkname="Princeton News: 3:48 A.M. AUG. 28 UPDATE - University closed for non-essential staff during Hurricane Irene";a2a_linkurl="http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S31/45/16Q56/index.xml?section=";a2a_color_main="ffcc9a";a2a_color_border="dd6611";a2a_color_link_text="333333";a2a_color_link_text_hover="333333"; | e-mail | print by Staff

Continued updates for campus hurricane-safety response to be posted on home page. The next update will be posted around 8 a.m.

This update to previous announcements about Princeton's campus safety during Hurricane Irene contains new information related to a tornado warning that has since expired, closed or flooded roads and restored power.

Because of severe weather expected from Hurricane Irene, Princeton University will be closed except for critical and essential staff beginning at midnight Sunday morning, Aug. 28, and lasting through at least 2 p.m. Sunday. Further updates will be provided after campus conditions are assessed in the wake of the storm.

Many campus facilities have been closed to ensure the safety and security of individuals on campus, and faculty, staff and students who do not have critical functions on campus have been strongly encouraged to delay their travel.

An ALL CLEAR has been issued for a tornado warning that was in effect until 3:15 a.m. Normal activities can resume. The University announced shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday that the National Weather Service had reported a tornado warning in effect for the Princeton area. A tornado warning means that a tornado has been sighted on the ground and you should take immediate action to take cover. Information about tornadoes or other severe weather is available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Princeton remains under a tropical storm warning. Mercer County also is under a tornado watch until 5 a.m. Sunday, which means that weather conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes. Members of the campus community should continue to monitor weather for further developments and be prepared to take cover quickly should a tornado develop.

The latest forecast now predicts the peak period of the storm is expected to occur between now and 5 p.m. Sunday. Forecasts predict heavy wind, rain of five to 10 inches or more in Mercer County and the surrounding area, and significant flooding, which will likely make many roads impassable.

On the south end of campus, Washington Road is closed between Faculty Road and Ivy Lane due to a fallen tree. Faculty Road is closed between Washington Road and Elm Drive because of a fallen utility pole, which may cause a power outage in the area. North of the campus, power has been restored at Stanworth Apartments. In the event of an outage, residents are advised to remain indoors until conditions improve.

Route 206 is closed north and south of Princeton's campus. The bridge over the D&R Canal on Alexander Road has been flooded.

The home page, www.princeton.edu, will continue to be the primary source for general information during the storm, and campus opening and closing information also will be available on the University's weather emergency hotline, (609) 258-SNOW. In the unlikely event that extreme or extended power outages don't make it possible for the University to update the home page, the University will seek to provide basic information via Princeton's Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Closures and cancellations

Members of campus should be advised of the following campus closures and rescheduling:

• All special events scheduled through Sunday, Aug. 28 are canceled, including exhibitions, concerts, lectures, seminars, pre-orientation events, athletic events, and all other activities. Members of the campus community and patrons should check the University home page for updates.
• Early arrival for leaders for the Outdoor Action and Community Action pre-orientation programs who were originally scheduled to arrive on campus on Aug. 27-29 has been canceled, and these students should plan to arrive on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
• Early arrival for International Pre-Orientation Volunteers who were originally scheduled to arrive on campus on Aug. 27-28 has been canceled, and these students should plan to arrive on Monday, Aug. 29.
• Coaches of Princeton's sports teams have canceled all practices scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 28.
• All chapel and other religious services for Sunday, Aug. 28, have been canceled by the Office of Religious Life.
• All campus libraries will be closed on Sunday, Aug. 28.

Students who arrive on campus this weekend will not have access to their assigned rooms until after Hurricane Irene has passed through the region.

Critical and essential employees will continue to receive guidance from their supervisors about reporting to work. The Office of Human Resources defines critical and essential staff as "Critical/essential services employees (who) hold positions that are necessary to keeping the basic services of the University operating and support the safety, health and welfare of the University community. Examples include snow removal, dining services, security and power plant, or the academic mission of the University, such as library, research laboratories and computer services."

While move-in for most undergraduates does not take place until September -- on Sept. 3 for incoming freshmen participating in the Outdoor Action and Community Action pre-orientation programs, and Sept. 10 for other students -- arrangements for continued meal and other limited services are being made for the estimated 500 undergraduate students on campus for sports teams, campus research, and other functions. Most of the University's estimated 2,500 graduate students also are on campus, and these students should note that available non-emergency services will be extremely limited during the storm.

Because of adverse weather conditions expected from Hurricane Irene, students having meals in Whitman College are advised to use caution while walking around campus. If conditions are severe, dining hours will be extended. The normal dining hours for Whitman College for all students and for emergency personnel this weekend and next week are as follows: 7 to 10 a.m. for breakfast, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for dinner. Students may dine using Paw Points or Student Charge.

Throughout the storm, students are advised to exercise good judgment, be responsible for their behavior, and, to the extent possible, remain inside during the worst parts of the storm and keep windows closed at all times. There will be extremely limited resources on campus and in the community to respond to emergencies.

Emergency, critical and essential staff working on campus during the storm will be housed in Spelman Hall Buildings 7 and 8, beginning 9 p.m. Saturday through 5 p.m. Sunday. A Building Services employee will be available to distribute keys to authorized employees from Spelman 81, near the front door to Spelman 8. Bed linens and basic toiletries are being provided.

In preparation for the impending storm, all departments were asked to park all University vehicles/carts in the West and/or North Garage. Vehicles should be parked on the higher levels, avoiding the rooftop to better protect the vehicles, and vehicles should be returned to their normal parking locations as soon as possible Monday morning, Aug. 29.

Hurricane preparations urged

Because of concerns over losses in power, the University turned off power to all elevators beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. The University continues to be engaged in extensive contingency planning, including moving generators into position to ensure continuation of some limited power in some of the University's apartment-style housing that is away from the central campus.

To preserve power for critical systems, many technology services may not be available, including research computing.

The University is strongly urging community members to make individual emergency preparations. To prepare for a hurricane, the Centers for Disease Control and the Federal Emergency Management Agency recommend these general guidelines:

• Fill vehicle gas tanks.
• If possible, park vehicles away from trees.
• For homes that have window air conditioning units, remove them from windows.
• Close storm windows.
• Stock emergency supplies that can last three to five days, including several clean containers of water, about five gallons for each person; non-perishable food; a first aid kit and manual; and a battery-powered radio, flashlights and extra batteries.
• Adjust refrigerators and freezers to their highest settings and keep the doors closed.
• Clear gutters and downspouts.
• Fill bathtubs and sinks with water for flushing toilets or cleaning.
• Stay away from windows.

In addition, all campus community members are asked to reduce electrical demand to a minimum to reduce load on the University's cogeneration plant; avoid wooded areas; and avoid construction sites, detention basins or other flooded areas.

Faculty, students and staff who have unsecured bikes on campus also should make efforts to lock their bikes in a bike rack, and if possible in an area with a shelter or overhang.

Guidance for residents of University housing and rental housing

The University shut-down of elevators ,that began at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, helps avoid failure of the elevators while they are occupied. This affects much of the apartment-style housing. In the event of a loss of power, residents of apartment-style housing should follow this guidance:

• Use caution within your residence and on the stairs, as lighting will be minimal.
• Do not open your refrigerator or freezer; this will keep items cold and frozen.
• Do not use candles or any other open flame as a light or heat source.
• Carefully unplug carbon monoxide detectors in your residence and remove the battery if they start beeping (remove the panel located on the back of the unit to access the battery).
• For residents of Butler Tract, Hibben-Magie, Lawrence, Stanworth and other off-campus University housing, if power fails and then is restored, please allow about two hours for the hot water, cooling and any elevators to be operational. These systems take some time to restart.
• PROX cards needed for entry do not always work during power failures. In the event this occurs, members of the campus community should call Public Safety.

All residents of University rental housing should check to ensure that their personal property insurance coverage is up to date. Because August has been a wet month, ground saturation suggests that people with basements may experience an ingress of water or flooding. It is advisable that items not be stored in basement areas, and that residents remove and store or secure all portable equipment, lawn furniture and other items that could be damaged in severe weather. Residents are responsible for personal property.

Members of the community may report any flooding, clogged exterior drains or other hazardous conditions to the Facilities Customer Service Center at (609) 258-8000.

The University maintains an Emergency Preparedness website, which can be accessed through the "Emergency Info" link on the home page. In addition to the latest updates, this site includes emergency guidelines for the campus community and various campus emergency quick links.

The University's Office of Human Resources also maintains a weather emergency reference page for employees.

For more information about Hurricane Irene, the National Weather Service provides weather updates for the central New Jersey region on its website, as well as a link to the National Hurricane Center website.