The following is important information regarding Hurricane Dorian.

Hurricane Dorian is tracking towards the Maritimes and is expected to reach the Nova Scotia coast by Saturday morning. It is expected to bring a significant amount of wind (60 to 80 km/h) and, at times, heavy downpours with total rainfall amounts possibly exceeding 75-100 mm over a 24 hour period.  By about 9 am Sunday, most of the weather associated with this system will be out of Nova Scotia. Acadia’s Emergency Management Team would like to remind the campus community to close all office and residence windows and secure any outside furniture/equipment Friday afternoon.

In the event of an emergency, immediate notifications will be communicated using the Acadia ALERT mass notification system and by campus-wide email messages.

Additional information from Environment Canada can be found at the following links:

https://weather.gc.ca/hurricane/statements_e.html

https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/ns-17_metric_e.html

As well, you may want to review the Nova Scotia Power “Be Prepared” website at https://www.nspower.ca/en/home/outage-centre/being-prepared.aspx

Take precautions

With the forecast rain and wind, everyone is advised to be careful when outside and to avoid unnecessary travel. Outdoor campus activities normally scheduled for Saturday have been cancelled and at this time indoor facilities will remain open. A possible outcome of the storm is a loss of electrical power, but there are numerous back-up generators on campus and Wheelock Dining Hall will remain open for students.

Weather-Related Events and Emergencies on Campus

Acadia’s Emergency Management Team assesses and shares information to our campus community and the general public when there is a weather-related event or emergency situation with the potential to disrupt campus operations.

Decisions regarding campus operations during weather-related events are based on carefully monitoring of the Environment Canada Weather Office, Emergency Management Office for the province of Nova Scotia, and RCMP advisories; as well as consultation with NS Department of Transportation, Public Works, and Physical Plant Services.

Weather-related class cancellations and campus closures are communicated as early as possible.

Student and Employee Responsibilities

Members of the Acadia campus community are urged to monitor forecasts and road conditions, check email and text accounts for an Acadia ALERT Notification.  Individuals travelling to the campus are asked to leave themselves enough time to travel safely, drive for the conditions, and to use caution on campus when walking. Always assess conditions and decide if travel is safe for you. For individuals who choose not to travel, please communicate directly with your respective instructor, supervisor, or event organizer if appropriate.

For additional campus emergency-related information, contact the Department of Safety and Security by dialing 88 on all on campus 585 extensions, or by calling 902-585-1103. The Department of Safety and Security office is staffed 24 hours daily. To report an emergency please call 911 and contact Safety and Security.

As a final reminder, whenever you receive an Acadia ALERT emergency notification, please act quickly and decisively, as directed by the message.