Hurricane Sandy has been causing quite a stir along the northeast coast, causing campuses and workplaces to close until further notice. Now, students of the University Park campus are feeling its effects.
All classes and activities are canceled after 1:10 p.m. at the University Park Campus, according to a PSUTXT sent at about 12:30 p.m. today.
The last time classes were closed for University Park students was in February of 2007, due to snow. Today, the force behind canceling classes is wind, Penn State’s Emergency Manager Brian Bittner said.
The storm is going to come earlier than anticipated, Bittner said. He said university officials have been closely monitoring the storm since Sunday.
He said updates on wind speed, specifically, is what the decision to cancel classes for the remainder of the day was based on.
Bittner said, as of 12:40 p.m., university officials have decided that classes and activities will remain closed until 6 a.m. tomorrow, when university officials will reevaluate the situation.
He said they will continue to monitor the storm throughout tonight and tomorrow to decide if the classes will be canceled again.
“We also have to keep the power plant on campus in operation, and the police department, and the staff who operate the two hotels have to be there to care for the hundreds of guests who are staying there when a storm strikes,” Powers wrote.
Check back at collegian.psu.edu as the story develops.
