Emergency Management

The FGCU Emergency Management Department prepares the University by enhancing partnerships and coordinating all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the University’s ability to mitigate, protect, and prevent against; respond to; and recover from natural, technological, and human-caused threats and hazards.

FGCU Emergency Managment is responsible for the following:

• Develop and maintain the FGCU COOP Plans
• Develop, plan, and evaluate emergency exercises
• Emergency Operations Center Management
• Provide training for individuals that have emergency management roles and responsibilities
• Provide the university with preparedness information 

Hurricane Idalia – Advisory 4 | August 30, 2023

Good morning,

An inspection of campus this morning showed that there was no damage from the offshore passing of Hurricane Idalia, and FGCU is cleared to reopen for normal campus operations Thursday, August 31. As a reminder, we are still operating remotely today.

We understand that there are members of our FGCU community who commute to campus from areas of the Gulf Coast that faced greater impacts from the storm. With that in mind, we encourage students, faculty and staff who are not able to return to campus Thursday due to a unique circumstance triggered by Hurricane Idalia to consult with their direct supervisor or instructor(s) for guidance.

This afternoon, FGCU will be reopening the following locations for limited use:

• Wilson G. Bradshaw Library: 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Starbucks in the Library: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• University Recreation & Wellness Center: 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.

SoVi Dining will continue to operate from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

FGCU is working on the connectivity issues with Banner, and ITS will send out additional communications as necessary.

Please stay alert to your county’s emergency alert systems and local meteorology reports. Because our region could still receive outer rain and wind bands throughout the day, follow these guidelines:

• Don’t go the beach to watch waves or swim.
• Don’t play in the rain or standing water.
• Don’t drive through flooded water.
• Avoid unnecessary trips in the community.

Send any storm-related questions to FGCUupdate@fgcu.edu. 

Hurricane Idalia – Advisory 3 | August 29, 2023

Good afternoon,

The eye of Hurricane Idalia is expected to pass by much of Southwest Florida today, but the worst of the weather in our region will likely occur this evening and overnight. Increased wind gusts from the south side of the storm could cause coastal flooding and the potential development of isolated tornadoes.

Because the remnants of the storm will still be active early Wednesday morning, we have decided to continue remote operations tomorrow. Students, faculty and staff should follow the same operational process they are following today. If you have questions about what this looks like, please refer to Advisory 2 (see below).

FGCU will announce operational plans for Thursday following an evaluation of campus facilities in the morning. We hope to reopen the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library and the University Recreation & Wellness Center for limited services for students in the afternoon, and we will send out hours of operation tomorrow.

Please stay tuned to local meteorology reports and be aware of the following guidance:

• Don’t go the beach to watch waves or swim.
• Don’t play in the rain or standing water.
• Stay indoors during the height of the storm.
• Don’t drive through flooded water.
• Avoid unnecessary trips and stay indoors this evening and overnight.

Please send any storm-related questions to FGCUupdate@fgcu.edu. 

Tropical Storm Idalia – Advisory 2 | August 28, 2023  

Good afternoon, 

The Southwest Florida region remains outside the forecast cone for Tropical Storm Idalia, which is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane between Tampa Bay and the Big Bend area in the Panhandle. The quick-moving storm is expected to pass by Southwest Florida late Tuesday into Wednesday, with our region expecting heavy rains, potential flooding and wind gusts that could go up to 80 mph.

With your safety in mind, we have decided to shift to remote operations on Tuesday. FGCU will announce our operational plans for Wednesday by 3 p.m. tomorrow.

Here’s what to expect Tuesday:

ACADEMICS | All academic classes will shift to remote delivery Tuesday. Faculty members should communicate with students this evening regarding assignments and activities that can be completed in lieu of face-to-face meetings. Please be mindful that our region may experience intermittent power and/or internet outages, which could extend into Wednesday depending on the storm’s track. Students, look for communication from your instructors this evening.

EMPLOYEES | Tuesday will be a remote day, similar to how we managed work during the COVID-19 pandemic and Tropical Storm Nicole in November 2022. Administrative offices will be available via a remote environment, and campus will remain open for activated essential personnel. If remote work isn’t possible for your role at the university, please address this with your supervisor to create an alternative plan. Supervisors, please keep in mind that many employees will have children at home due to school closures.

RESIDENTIAL | There is no evacuation of residential students, and housing community offices will remain open Tuesday. We urge our students who live on campus to stay in their units during the height of the storm. SoVi Dining will be open for residential students from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday. Campus shuttles will not be operational.

The following locations will be closed Tuesday:

• Cohen Student Union (including Bookstore and dining areas)
• University Recreation & Wellness Center
• Waterfront, Aquatics Center and residential pools
• Wilson G. Bradshaw Library

If you are planning an in-person meeting or event Tuesday, please transition it to a virtual meeting or reschedule the event for another date after the storm passes. Starting now, all campus-wide communications need to route through the FGCU Update email account, and FGCU is suspending any non-emergency posts on all official social media accounts.

Please send any storm-related questions to FGCUupdate@fgcu.edu. 

Tropical Storm Idalia – Advisory 1 | August 27, 2023

FGCU Emergency Management, in conjunction with campus leadership, is continuing to monitor the development of Tropical Storm Idalia. Currently the storm is located near the Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba, and the National Hurricane Center expects Idalia will reach hurricane strength after it moves into the Gulf of Mexico.

At this time, the storm’s forecast shows it is on track to make landfall between the Panhandle of Florida and Tampa as early as Tuesday. As it passes Southwest Florida, the storm could bring heavy rainfall, flooding and higher-than-average winds to our area.

It’s important to note that forecast cones only indicate where the eye of a storm may travel, and there is uncertainty with storm paths days out from landfall. FGCU will continue to provide updates on what we can expect in the days to come, and we plan to send our next weather advisory by 5 p.m. Monday.

At this time, there are no changes to campus operations.

Should that need to change, FGCU will send out alerts by text and email. The information will also appear on our branded social media pages and be posted to our Emergency Management website.

As a reminder, it is important that we be able to reach you during an emergency. Please download the RAVE Guardian Eagle App and use the following links to update your current cell phone and emergency contact information:

• Workday (employees)
• Office of the Registrar (students)

Latest Alert

FGCU Alert Update (2 of 2)

8/16/2023 12:43 PM

FGCU Alert(2 of 2):FGCU issued an emergency notification because of the proximity to West Lake Village. LCSO no longer considers this an active scene. Expect continued police presence.