Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Public schools are closed tomorrow. No word yet on the University.

Very wet out there. Very grey. Some wind. Barometer in my bedroom is down to 1006.

We're closing, according to this email I just got:

The University Crisis Decision Team met at 11:00 am today and decided that the University and the Law School will close as of noon today. All afternoon and evening classes are cancelled and the Law Library will close as well. The University Crisis Decision Team will meet at 6:00 PM today to determine whether or not we will be open tomorrow, Tuesday, August 19th. Our website will be updated as new information becomes available. We will also send another email after the meeting. Additional information may also be obtained from the University's website at http://www6.miami.edu/prepare/ or the University's Hotline at (305) 284-5151.

It's very very grey out, and there's a steady strong but not torrential rain. There's a little wind now, although it's been dead calm for much of the morning.

Update: Here's the official UM announcement (the above was from the law school):

University of Miami Closes at 12 Noon Today

After closely monitoring the progress of Tropical Storm Fay and taking into consideration deteriorating weather conditions, the University of Miami will be closing at 12 noon today. The University's campuses are safe and secure.

This closure applies to operations on all campuses, except for clinical activities at the medical school. All University of Miami hospitals are operating normally. Outpatient clinics will remain open until all scheduled patients have been cared for or contacted.

Residence Hall desks will remain open for check-in today and tomorrow for student move-in.

Details on other closures include:

* All libraries will close at 12 noon.
* The Wellness Center will close at 12 noon.
* Shuttle buses will stop running at 2 p.m
* The Canterbury Preschool will close at 2 p.m.
* The Bookstore will close at 12 noon.
* Retail food services will close at 1 p.m.
* Dining halls will serve lunch until 12:30 p.m. and dinner will be served from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

And now (1:40pm) it's raining torrents. Judging by the trees, though, the wind isn't strong yet.

They closed the public schools, but (barring something strange, and an announcement at 8:30 tomorrow morning) the law school is not closing tomorrow.

I think both administrations are right. The storm track has shifted a tiny bit away from us, but there's still a lot of uncertainty. We're going to be ok in the morning, but there is an appreciable chance of road chaos in the afternoon, in the unlikely event Fay strengthens and zags. There's often no way for parents to hear about early closures of the schools while at work, nor to get their kids. Law students on the other hand are far less numerous, and generally self-propelled.

We can close the place a lot faster than a public school if we need to. And we probably won't need to. If anything Tuesday looks dicier than Monday, and that too is not looking so bad at present.

Folks in the Keys, or on the west coast of Florida seem to have more to worry about.

Meanwhile, on the home front, we've done almost all our laundry. But we'd have done than anyway.