Campus Alert Archive
VUU

An HBCU Hands Out Emergency Backpacks as Florence Bears Down on Richmond

VAhurricaneemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

As Hurricane Florence threatened Virginia in September 2018, Virginia Union University, a historically Black university in Richmond, cancelled classes beginning at noon on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 and told students who wished to evacuate to leave campus before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12. Essential staff sheltered with students who remained, and the university stocked each residence hall with emergency backpacks containing water, flashlights, batteries, and snacks. VUU planned to reopen Sunday, September 16, with classes resuming Monday, September 17.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
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Institution
Virginia Union University
Hbcu · VA
~1,200 studentsVUU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 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 ALERTWebsite
Approximate reconstructionVUU Hurricane Florence Updates (10:51 a.m.) — reconstructed from official posting390 chars
Hurricane Florence Update: VUU will cancel classes beginning at noon today, Tuesday, September 11. Students who wish to evacuate should plan to leave campus before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12. Essential faculty, staff and administrators will remain on campus with students who stay. The university expects to reopen Sunday, September 16, with classes resuming Monday, September 17.

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

Reconstructed from VUU's official Hurricane Florence update pages; the exact alert wording could not be confirmed verbatim because the live archive is access-restricted, so isVerbatimConfirmed is false.
The noon Tuesday class cancellation and the 5:00 p.m. Wednesday evacuation deadline are the operationally specific facts drawn directly from the official posting.
UPDATEWebsite
Approximate reconstructionVUU Hurricane Florence Updates (6:00 p.m.) — reconstructed from official posting479 chars
Hurricane Florence Updates for Virginia Union University - 6:00 p.m.: Each residence hall has been supplied with emergency backpacks that include bottled water, flashlights, batteries, snacks and emergency contact numbers. The facilities department is ensuring all drains and window wells are clear to prevent ponding and that any flooding issues are addressed immediately. The university expects campus to reopen Sunday, September 16, with classes resuming Monday, September 17.

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

The 6:00 p.m. update is notable for emphasizing student welfare logistics — emergency backpacks in every residence hall — rather than only weather forecasts, reflecting a residential HBCU's duty of care for students who could not travel home.
The drain and window-well clearing detail is a flood-mitigation step specific to VUU's Richmond campus topography and is preserved from the official posting.
Context

Background

Virginia Union University is a historically Black university founded in 1865 in Richmond, Virginia. In September 2018, Hurricane Florence prompted Governor Ralph Northam to declare a state of emergency and order mandatory evacuations for low-lying parts of the Commonwealth. VUU was one of several Virginia colleges to cancel classes ahead of the storm, publishing a sequence of timestamped updates on its official news page. Because many VUU students live far from Richmond and rely on campus housing, the university's messaging focused heavily on sheltering students who could not evacuate — stocking each residence hall with emergency backpacks and keeping essential staff on site. Florence ultimately weakened and made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, tracking south of Richmond, so the Richmond campus avoided a direct hit and reopened on schedule.
Analysis

Key Findings

VUU's hurricane messaging prioritized residential student welfare — emergency backpacks, sheltering staff, and an evacuation deadline — over weather forecasting, reflecting an HBCU's duty of care for students who cannot easily travel home
The university issued a sequence of timestamped updates on its official news page rather than relying solely on a single mass alert, giving students a running source of truth
Florence weakened and tracked south of Richmond, so the precautionary closure ended without campus damage
Outcome
Florence weakened and tracked south of Richmond, sparing the campus a direct hit. VUU reopened on schedule without reported damage or injuries.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Hurricane Florence Updates for Virginia Union University - 6:00 p.m.
    vuu.edu
  2. Official
    Hurricane Florence Updates for Virginia Union University - 10:51 a.m.
    vuu.edu
  3. News
    Va. universities and colleges prepare for Hurricane Florence; some cancel classes
    wtop.com
  4. Source
    Hurricane Florence
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
hurricanehbcuvirginiarichmondevacuationweatheremergency-notification
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion