Florida A&M University announces campus closure Tuesday as more storms are expected

Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat
·2 min read
Downed trees and powerlines were in front of FAMU after severe storms and a tornado hit Tallahassee Friday morning.
Downed trees and powerlines were in front of FAMU after severe storms and a tornado hit Tallahassee Friday morning.

Florida A&M University announced that its campus will be closed Tuesday as it continues to recover during the city’s tornado aftermath amid forecasts of more storms.

The announcement comes after the campus reopened remotely Monday on the first day of its summer semester, following three EF-2 tornadoes that swept through Tallahassee a few days ago and severely impacted the HBCU (historically Black college and university) campus.

Classes are scheduled to resume remotely on Wednesday, according to the university.

More: Updates: Monday severe weather threat wanes; schools closed Tuesday ahead of next round

“The closures include the Quincy Farm, the FAMU Viticulture Center, and The Durell Peaden Jr.  Rural Pharmacy Education Campus in Crestview,” the university said in a Monday afternoon release.

“The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering is still without electricity and will be closed Tuesday.”

While FAMU announces its campus closure, Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College still plan on being open Tuesday as of 5:30 p.m. Monday afternoon.

FAMU declared a state of emergency Friday after the storm, saying that the violent weather knocked out electricity, damaged roofs, downed trees and utility lines, blocked roadways and scattered debris across the campus.

Electricity has been restored to the main campus, but at least 15 buildings — including the Grand Ballroom, the Banneker Buildings and the old Plant, Operations and Maintenance (POM) Building — suffered some form of roof and water damage. The flashing on Lee Hall was also damaged, according to Kendall Jones, associate vice president Facilities, Planning, Construction, and Safety.

FAMU President Larry Robinson and senior administration officials held a virtual townhall meeting Sunday evening to update students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders on the progress of the university’s recovery efforts.

“We have a really great team of experts who are working on this in collaboration with city, county and state officials,” Robinson said during the townhall. “A lot of people have reached out to us, and we really appreciate them. Once again, we beg your patience. It’s going to take us a few days to get back on our feet, but we are making amazing progress.”

FAMU President Larry Robinson.
FAMU President Larry Robinson.

As the next round of storms roll into the capital city, a temporary American Red Cross shelter has been set up in FAMU’s Al Lawson Center on Althea Gibson Way. As of Sunday night, 60 people registered to seek shelter, and the university’s Police Department is providing additional security for those staying there, according to the university.

The National Weather Service continues to forecast several lines of storms as they move east through the Big Bend on Monday and into Tuesday.

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU campus will be closed Tuesday ahead of more storms after tornado