The sky was heavy, as if it were carrying gallons of water waiting to drop by. The wind had stopped pretending to be a breeze, instead howling against the windows. It looked as if the sky was having a battle with itself, alive and electric. The smell of rain had infiltrated every nook and cranny, clinging to the walls and air. 

Something was off. 

When a hurricane starts to creep near a coastline, universities often face a difficult decision to evacuate their campuses. From an outside perspective, running away from a hurricane hurling toward campus sounds responsible. From an inside perspective, compelling thousands of students and staff to travel during an approaching natural disaster can be extremely dangerous. 

As a former out-of-state student, it can be stressful traveling across Florida to make a flight out. Everyone is either rushing to get home on a last-minute flight, deciding to wait in traffic since the roads are congested, or has nowhere to go. 

The truth is, students face numerous obstacles in tight-scheduled situations, such as hurricanes. Not everyone has a car,  is old enough to book a hotel, or knows anyone locally. It comes down to timing.

 Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28, 2022, and students were notified to evacuate on September 26, 2022. The next day, it started storming, and many students were unable to travel or use the internet. The timing of when to evacuate students can unintentionally put them at greater risk. 

In certain circumstances, it may be safer and more out of harm’s way to shelter in place. Take into consideration Hurricane Milton in 2024. Students from the University of South Florida and FGCU were being evacuated. As someone who attends one of those schools and lives near the other, where do you go? Many were sent right in the line of the storm. 

There needs to be more information shared with out-of-state students.

 There are many student preparedness papers available on FGCU’s website, but something in person would be more beneficial. Many students leave before a mandatory evacuation has even been declared, and some face the consequence of missing school. There shouldn’t be a penalty, such as losing participation points, for following a personal safety escape plan.  

As the water continues to warm, intensifying storms become more persistent and powerful, and universities must refine and enhance their emergency response strategies. FGCU needs a plan that includes all students and their individual needs and limitations.