To the University Community:

As I'm sure you know, hurricane season starts today—and that means being fully prepared.

While we’re vigilant to respond to any immediate emergencies, we have time to get ready for the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through November 30. The extended-range forecast for the season projects below-average activity—but as we all know, just one hurricane making landfall in our community can be disruptive. That’s why we need to prepare each and every year—weather is unpredictable.

Here at UM, we continually implement actions to strengthen our preparedness. Last year we were designated as “StormReady” by the National Weather Service, and we are now implementing WeatherSTEM, an accessible system that provides information on current conditions on our campuses. On the research side, scientists at our Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science conduct cutting-edge studies on the development, intensification, and impacts of tropical storms.

Now is the time to prepare, which involves a number of steps to take:

• Go to our Personal Preparedness for Hurricanes site or miami.edu/hurricane-prepare to be smart and plan your own emergency preparedness.
• Watch the special report prepared by the clandestine “UM Ministry of Meteorology,” in which our students offer practical (and fun) advice on what to do before, during, and after a storm.
• Update your contact information so the University can stay in touch with you in case of an emergency.
• Employees should use the Change Contact Information and Change Emergency Contacts tip sheets for Workday to ensure we know how to contact you and your loved ones in times of crisis. Make sure cell numbers are correctly designated as “mobile” in the device field. Managers must also designate Essential Personnel—those employees who will work before, during, and/or after an emergency when campus is closed for normal operations. Visit this tip sheet for information on making this important designation within Workday.
• Students need to ensure their emergency contact information is accurate in CaneLink by logging in to canelink.miami.edu and clicking on the “Emergency Information” link under the Personal Information section (top left-hand side of the CaneLink home page).

If you have questions or need additional information regarding how to prepare for emergencies, go to miami.edu/prepare, or contact the Office of Emergency Management at 305-284-8005 or oem@miami.edu.

Best,

Thomas J. LeBlanc
Executive Vice President and Provost
Interim President