Tropical Storm Hanna to Hit Area This Weekend

By Connect2Mason Director Grace Kendall

Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to hit northern Virginia on Friday night, with the worst of the storm moving through the area on Saturday.

A Mason Alert sent early Friday evening said, "4-8 inches of rain with wind gusts up to 40-60 mph is possible."

The Mason Alert e-mail was followed by a longer notice from the Office of Housing and Residence Life, detailing advice for how to handle the incoming storm. Some of the advice offered included staying indoors during inclement weather, keeping away from windows during periods of heavy wind, and "keep[ing] shoes and valuables nearby" in the event of an evacuation.

Bicycles should be moved indoors if possible, though they are not allowed in common areas of campus residences. Gasoline powered vehicles such as mopeds are not allowed indoors, but according to the e-mail they "may be stored in the Sandy Creek Parking Deck on the third level for this weekend."

In the event of a power outage, dining services will be reduced with Ciao Hall as the primary dining area.

More information on hurricane safety and the status of the storm can be found on the National Hurricane Center website and on the Ready Virginia hurricane information page.

The best way to stay informed regularly about updates to the storm as it nears Mason is to make sure you are signed up for the Mason Alert text messages; alerts will be sent throughout the weekend as the status of the storm changes.

No Mason events for Friday evening have been canceled yet.