IMPORTANT INFORMATION Updated 8-28-11: UNH Closed 4 a.m. Sunday-4 a.m. Tuesday Due to Hurricane Irene; No Classes Monday, Aug. 29

University of New Hampshire Office of Emergency Management
Hurricane Irene Preparedness Statement
Aug. 28, 2011; 4 p.m.

WEATHER UPDATE

This Afternoon: Tropical storm conditions. Rain likely, mainly before 5 p.m. The rain could be heavy at times. South wind 40 to 50 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph.

Tonight: Tropical storm conditions expected. A chance of rain, mainly before midnight. The rain could be heavy at times. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 57. West wind 30 to 40 mph decreasing to between 10 and 15 mph. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 77. West wind between 8 and 10 mph.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. Light west wind.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 77. Northwest wind between 3 and 6 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56.

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University of New Hampshire Office of Emergency Management
Hurricane Irene Preparedness Statement
Aug. 27, 2011; 4:30 p.m.

The University of New Hampshire will be closed from 4 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, until 4 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, in anticipation of Hurricane Irene. There will be no classes Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.


All updates from the UNH Police/Office of Emergency Management will be posted at www.unh.edu. Stay informed and check back often. Information will also be available on the university's storm info line, 603-862-0000. SIGN-UP for UNH Alerts @ https://alert.unh.edu/index.php?CCheck=1. It’s free and the best way to stay informed on campus emergencies.

WHAT IS AVAILABLE WHEN CAMPUS IS CLOSED

SUNDAY

  • Holloway Commons will be open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Philbrook Dining Hall will be open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
  • Campus Recreation will be open as a shelter beginning at 6 a.m.
  • There will be no Wildcat Transit or Campus Connector available from 4 a.m. Sunday until 4 a.m. Tuesday
  • The Memorial Union Building will be closed
  • Dimond Library will be closed
  • The UNH Bookstore will be closed
  • The UNH ID office will be closed
  • The UNH Computer Store and UNH Computer Repair Services will be closed
  • The Information Technology Services Center will be closed in Dimond Library and there will be no on-site support in residence halls


MONDAY

  • Holloway Commons and Philbrook Dining Hall will be open from 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Campus Recreation will be open 6 a.m.-midnight
  • The Memorial Union Building will open at 7 a.m.-midnight; there will be entertainment available as well as free Wi-Fi
  • Dimond Library will be open 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
  • The UNH Bookstore will be open from 8:30 a.m.- 7 p.m. provided access to campus is available
  • The UNH ID office will be open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. provided access to campus is available
  • Every residence hall will have at least one community building activity
  • There will be no Wildcat Transit or Campus Connector available from 4 a.m. Sunday until 4 a.m. Tuesday


EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS

New Hampshire Governor John Lynch declared a State of Emergency effective 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, 2011.
President Barack Obama issued a pre-landfall emergency declaration which allows government and select nonprofits to track and submit for Category B reimbursements (More info on category B: http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/re_categories.shtm)

STORM PREDICTION

Hurricane Irene continues on a track to impact New England and specifically New Hampshire. The National Weather Service indicates that the track seems to be increasing speed by about three hours, and is estimated to reach southern New England by 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, and southern New Hampshire by 8 p.m. The eye of the storm is predicted to cross over New Hampshire at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. Winds will pick up again between the hours of 7 and 9 p.m. A tropical storm watch is in effect for all of New Hampshire.

New Hampshire should start to feel the effects of Irene late Saturday evening with rain throughout the night. The heaviest rains will move into our area from south to north Sunday morning throughout the day. From Saturday evening through Monday morning we may see 6-8” total on the up slopes of the White Mountains and 2-5” to the east of the track. During the Sunday time period we may see some flash flooding and some flooding of rivers that are susceptible to flooding. Winds will primarily affect the state Sunday and be gusty on Monday. Rain will be moving out of the area Monday morning.

STATE LANDS/PUBLIC RECREATION

Mendum’s Pond, Kingman Farm and College Woods are closed through midnight Monday, Aug. 29, 2011.

AMTRAK DOWNEASTER

Amtrak Downeaster train service has been cancelled Sunday, August 28, 2011, in the interest of public safety. This includes Trains 690, 691, 692, 693, 694, 695, 696, 697, 698, 699.

All Downeaster trains are anticipated to operate today, Saturday, August 27, 2011, including Train 699. The schedule for Monday is still undetermined. Crews will inspect the railroad following the passage of the storm to evaluate any damage and then clear the railroad for operations as appropriate. Limited bus service is likely on Monday morning. Up-to-date information will be available to the public on Amtrak.com or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) and requesting TRAIN STATUS.

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University of New Hampshire Office of Emergency Management
Hurricane Irene Preparedness Statement
Aug. 26, 2011; 5:30 p.m.


All updates from the UNH Police/Office of Emergency Management will be posted at www.unh.edu. Stay informed and check back often. Information will also be available on the university's storm info line, 603-862-0000. SIGN-UP for UNH Alerts @ https://alert.unh.edu/index.php?CCheck=1. It’s free and the best way to stay informed on campus emergencies.

STORM PREDICTION

Hurricane Irene is moving north near 14 mph with this motion expected to continue for the next 24 hours. Then a gradual turn toward the northeast should be expected. Irene is still a Category 2 hurricane with some possible intensification today, bordering on Category 3 as it reaches the North Carolina coast. The National Weather Service indicates the track seems to be moving slightly to the east but is still unpredictable. It is very probable that the Seacoast area of New Hampshire will experience much rain and wind during the weekend. Models have shown the storm picking up speed slightly (by about six hours) with the center over southern Connecticut by 2 p.m. Sunday, over southern New Hampshire by 8 p.m. Sunday, and over western Maine by 2 a.m. Monday.

New Hampshire should start to feel the effects of Irene late Saturday evening with rain throughout the night. The heaviest rains will move into our area from south to north Sunday morning throughout the day. From Saturday evening through Monday morning we may see 6-8” total on the up slopes of the White Mountains and 2-5” to the east of the track. During the Sunday time period we may see some flash flooding and some flooding of rivers that are susceptible to flooding. Winds will primarily affect the state Sunday and be gusty on Monday. Rain will be moving out of the area Monday morning and winds Monday afternoon.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS

UNH Police/Emergency Management will open a command post Sunday morning and will also work in partnership with the Town of Durham. UNH emergency plans will be activated and resources deployed as needed.

UNH Emergency Management is in direct contact with the state of New Hampshire Emergency Operations Center and receives and sends campus updates to them as needed.

UNH POLICE STAFFING

From Sunday morning through Monday morning UNH police will have additional resources available and be deployed on 12 hour shifts.

ESSENTIAL SUPPORT FUNCTIONS

The Dairy Bar will be closed Sunday and Monday regardless of weather conditions
The ID Office will be closed Sunday
The UNH Bookstore will be closed Sunday
The meal price at Philbrook and Holloway dining halls will be $9 including tax during the weekend.
Elevator maintenance personnel will be on campus Saturday and Sunday for emergencies
Alarm technicians will be on campus Sunday night into Monday morning
Waste Management will be on campus to empty dumpsters


MORE WEATHER INFORMATION

- National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
- Hydro meteorological Prediction Center: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov
- National Weather Service - Wilmington: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ilm/
- National Weather Service - Raleigh: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/rah/
- National Weather Service - Newport: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mhx/
- National Weather Service - Wakefield: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/akq/
- National Weather Service - Baltimore/Washington: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lwx/
- National Weather Service - Philadelphia: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/phi/
- National Weather Service - New York: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/okx/
- National Weather Service - Albany: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/aly/  
- National Weather Service - Boston: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/box/  
- National Weather Service - Portland: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/gyx/  

SHELTERS/SUPPLIES

UNH has two on-campus shelters:
•    Hamel Recreation Center
•    Memorial Union Building

UNH Police Emergency Management in cooperation with other campus offices has sufficient food and supplies for the expected duration of the storm. Our current plan is to use the “shelter in place” model in our residence halls. Members of the Housing and Residential Life staff are prepared for this event and will take appropriate measures as directed by campus public safety officials.

PUBLIC INFORMATION/PREPAREDNESS

Deputy Police Chief Paul Dean, director of UNH Emergency Management, recommends everyone “Have a kit, Make a plan, Stay Informed, and Check on Neighbors.” ReadyNH has information for students, faculty and staff as well as vulnerable populations at: http://www.nh.gov/readynh/index.htm/readynh/

SIGN-UP for UNH Alerts @ https://alert.unh.edu/index.php?CCheck=1. It’s free and the best way to stay informed on campus emergencies.

POWER INTERUPTIONS LIKELY

Given the current weather forecast for Hurricane Irene, it is very likely that PSNH and the campus electrical power system will be affected. Electrical outages are very likely Sunday night and into Monday morning. Sensitive electrical equipment including servers, computers and lab instruments should be shut down and critical experiments that rely on uninterrupted power should be suspended during this period. While many buildings on campus have generators that will provide some power, even these systems will have a brief period when there is no power as these generators take time to start up and begin providing power. 
 
Depending on circumstances, interruption of PSNH service can result in a total loss of campus electrical power. In that case, it may take 30–60 minutes to restart the Co-Gen Plant systems so power can be supplied to the campus. It is also likely, given the high winds being forecast, that during the peak of the storm that it will be unsafe for anyone to be outside in which case we will not be able to operate the campus power distribution system and power may be lost to the entire campus. We will do our best to restore power as quickly as possible but an outage of several hours would not be out of the question.

CAMPUS EMERGENCY POWER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

Electrical power for the UNH campus comes from two sources; power generated by the UNH Co-Generation Plant and power purchased from PSNH. The Co-Generation Plant capacity is insufficient to provide all of the electrical power needed by the campus when the campus is busy and residence halls are occupied. During those times additional electrical power must be purchased from PSNH.

If PSNH power is not available due to an outage caused by storm damage or other causes, the Co-Gen Plant will be operated to provide electric power to as much of the campus as possible. Our first priority is to provide power to critical circuits that supply power to the MUB, Holloway Commons, Philbrook Dining Hall, Janetos, Health Services, TELCOM, and the fire station. Other buildings on the same circuits would also have power. Depending on the total campus load, we will rotate power to the rest of the campus in roughly 2 hour blocks of time. That is, we will provide power for two hours and then power will be off for either two or four hours depending on the total campus load, then back on for two hours.  This rotating power distribution will continue until PSNH power is restored.

VOLUNTEERS

Strafford County Citizen Corps volunteers have been put on alert. Disaster Animal Response Teams (DART) has been put on alert.

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University of New Hampshire Office of Emergency Management
Hurricane Irene Preparedness Statement
Aug. 25, 2011; 3 p.m.

All updates from the UNH Police/Office of Emergency Management will be posted at www.unh.edu. Stay informed and check back often.

STORM PREDICTION

We do not know with great certainty the timing, track, or severity but the overall message is that communities and businesses should be preparing for a major storm. Current predictions include Hurricane Irene hitting Cheshire County around 2 a.m. Monday. Winds and heavy rain are expected to hit southeastern New Hampshire as early as Saturday evening with the brunt of it on Sunday afternoon/evening.

SHELTERS/SUPPLIES

UNH has two on-campus shelters:
•    Hamel Recreation Center
•    Memorial Union Building

UNH Police Emergency Management in cooperation with other campus offices has sufficient food and supplies for the expected duration of the storm. Our current plan is to use the “shelter in place” model in our residence halls. Members of the Housing and Residential Life staffs are prepared for this event and will take appropriate measures as directed by campus public safety officials.

PUBLIC INFORMATION/PREPAREDNESS

Deputy Police Chief Paul Dean, director of UNH Emergency Management, recommends everyone “Have a kit, Make a plan, Stay Informed, and Check on Neighbors.” ReadyNH has information for students, faculty and staff as well as vulnerable populations at: http://www.nh.gov/readynh/index.htm/readynh/

SIGN-UP for UNH Alerts @ https://alert.unh.edu/index.php?CCheck=1. It’s free and the best way to stay informed on campus emergencies.

POWER INTERRUPTIONS LIKELY

Given the current weather forecast for Hurricane Irene, it is very likely that PSNH and the campus electrical power system will be affected. Electrical outages are very likely Sunday night and into Monday morning. Sensitive electrical equipment including servers, computers and lab instruments should be shut down and critical experiments that rely on uninterrupted power should be suspended during this period. While many buildings on campus have generators that will provide some power, even these systems will have a brief period when there is no power as these generators take time to start up and begin providing power.  

Depending on circumstances, interruption of PSNH service can result in a total loss of campus electrical power. In that case, it may take 30–60 minutes to restart the Co-Gen Plant systems so power can be supplied to the campus. It is also likely, given the high winds being forecast, that during the peak of the storm that it will be unsafe for anyone to be outside in which case we will not be able to operate the campus power distribution system and power may be lost to the entire campus. We will do our best to restore power as quickly as possible but an outage of several hours would not be out of the question.

CAMPUS EMERGENCY POWER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

Electrical power for the UNH campus comes from two sources; power generated by the UNH Co-Generation Plant and power purchased from PSNH. The Co-Generation Plant capacity is insufficient to provide all of the electrical power needed by the campus when the campus is busy and residence halls are occupied. During those times additional electrical power must be purchased from PSNH.

If PSNH power is not available due to an outage caused by storm damage or other causes, the Co-Gen Plant will be operated to provide electric power to as much of the campus as possible. Our first priority is to provide power to critical circuits that supply power to the MUB, Holloway Commons, Philbrook Dining Hall, Janetos, Health Services, TELCOM, and the fire station. Other buildings on the same circuits would also have power. Depending on the total campus load, we will rotate power to the rest of the campus in roughly 2 hour blocks of time. That is, we will provide power for two hours and then power will be off for either two or four hours depending on the total campus load, then back on for two hours.  This rotating power distribution will continue until PSNH power is restored.

VOLUNTEERS

Strafford County Citizen Corps volunteers have been put on alert. Disaster Animal Response Teams (DART) has been put on alert.