Campus Alert Archive
Tulane

Generators and Meal Bags: Tulane's Post-Katrina Playbook Activated for Hurricane Francine

LAhurricaneemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Tulane University shifted to remote operations beginning at 5 PM on Tuesday, September 10, and physically closed its campus through Wednesday, September 11 as Hurricane Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm left 120,000 Louisiana residents without power. Tulane's uptown campus resumed normal operations on Thursday, September 12, just hours after the storm passed, thanks in part to backup generators in all residence halls.

Alerts
3
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Tulane University
Private R1 · LA
~14,000 studentsTU Alerts
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction434 chars
Tulane Emergency: Due to Tropical Storm Francine, which is expected to make landfall in southeast Louisiana on Wednesday evening, the university will shift to remote operations, including all classes, beginning at 5 p.m. today. The campus is physically closed and remote classes and work will continue through tomorrow evening. Hurricane preparedness meal bags are available for pickup at the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from Tulane Hullabaloo student newspaper coverage and university announcements
The distribution of hurricane preparedness meal bags is a practice Tulane developed after Hurricane Katrina and has refined over subsequent storms
Bottled water was also distributed across campus and at residence hall desks
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction303 chars
Tulane Emergency: Hurricane Francine has made landfall in Terrebonne Parish as a Category 2 hurricane. The campus remains physically closed. All residence halls and several other uptown buildings have full backup power. Stay indoors and away from windows. Do not go outside until an all-clear is issued.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Francine made landfall at approximately 5 PM CDT on September 11 in Terrebonne Parish
Tulane's investment in backup generators for residence halls and key campus buildings reflects lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina in 2005
ALL CLEAREmail+15 h
Approximate reconstruction355 chars
Tulane Emergency: The university is returning to normal operations. Tulane Facilities Services has assessed campus impacts and is reopening campus buildings. The uptown campus has resumed activity. Students, faculty, and staff may return to normal schedules. Continue to monitor weather conditions and exercise caution around any standing water or debris.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from the official Tulane News article about returning to normal operations
Tulane's rapid return to normal operations, just hours after the storm passed, reflects the university's significant storm preparedness infrastructure
Context

Background

Tulane University's response to Hurricane Francine in September 2024 reflected two decades of institutional learning since Hurricane Katrina devastated the campus in 2005. The university closed campus and shifted to remote operations well in advance of Francine's landfall, distributing hurricane preparedness meal bags and bottled water to students who remained on campus. All residence halls and key campus buildings have full backup generator power, an infrastructure investment that allowed the university to resume normal operations by Thursday morning, just hours after the storm passed. The Tulane Hullabaloo reported mixed student reactions: some felt the precautions were excessive for a storm that weakened before reaching New Orleans, while others appreciated the university's caution. While Tulane's campus was spared, Francine left 120,000 Louisiana residents without power and caused significant damage in Terrebonne Parish where it made landfall. Tulane School of Medicine teams helped keep area hospitals running during the storm.
Analysis

Key Findings

Tulane's backup generator infrastructure in all residence halls enabled rapid post-storm recovery
Hurricane preparedness meal bags were distributed to on-campus students before the storm
The campus resumed normal operations within hours of the storm passing
The response reflected institutional knowledge developed since Hurricane Katrina in 2005
Outcome
No injuries or significant damage reported on Tulane's campus. Uptown campus resumed activity on Thursday, September 12. Backup generators in residence halls and key buildings kept critical systems operational throughout the storm.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Tulane returning to normal operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Francine - Tulane News
    news.tulane.edu
  2. Student Paper
    Tropical Storm Francine expected to make landfall Wednesday evening - Tulane Hullabaloo
    tulanehullabaloo.com
  3. Student Paper
    Tulane's mixed reaction to Hurricane Francine - Tulane Hullabaloo
    tulanehullabaloo.com
  4. News
    Francine live updates - NBC News
    nbcnews.com
Tags
hurricanefrancinecampus-closureremote-operationsbackup-generatorspost-katrina-preparednesslouisianarapid-recovery
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion