UO Alert Eugene: Severe Weather Safety Tips  1/16/24

UO Campus remains closed on Tuesday, Jan. 16 due to ice. Classes and events are cancelled.

Conditions on campus and the surrounding community are likely to get worse before getting better.  Students and staff should be prepared for ice on all surfaces, hazardous trees, and standing water or flooding once ice begins to melt. Use your best judgement determining when you can return to and move around campus safely.

 Current status

• Housing Residential Dining continues to operate at Barnhart, Carson, Unthank, and Global Scholars Hall until 7 p.m. daily.
• The Student Rec Center is open today from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.  Due to limited staffing, some areas of the Rec Center may be unavailable.
• Campus staff continue cleanup and assessment, maintaining the power plant supplying electricity and heat, and staffing housing and dining facilities.
• Power outages are occurring around the community. There have been no reports of outages on campus.
• If you live off campus and are without power/heat, the Rec Center and Dining Halls are good options for warmth and electricity.

 

Safety

• If you must go out – dress appropriately with warm clothing, gloves, and footwear with traction.
• Walk like a Duck – bend a bit forward and take short steps with your toes pointing slightly outward.
• Be extremely careful on and around campus. A winter weather impact map shows hazard areas. Stay clear of areas marked with caution tape.
• Sidewalks and roads are ice covered and very slippery. Anything moving (cars or people) cannot stop. Stay on the sidewalk if you can.
• Avoid trees and tree covered routes. Beware of downed or falling trees, limbs and powerlines. More will fall as the ice begins to melt.
• During campus closures, use of campus parking lots by cars and pedestrians is prohibited, except for essential employees and/or emergency personnel. Vehicles parked before the storm may remain unless otherwise notified.

 

What’s next

• Another storm is forecast this afternoon into this evening, with more ice expected before temperatures rise.
• It will take a few days for ice to melt. Use extreme caution and expect sidewalks, roads, stairs, and shaded areas to be icy.
• More trees, tree limbs and power lines are likely to fall as the ice melts.
• Avoid standing water. Don’t walk or drive through any water when the pavement below can’t be seen. It may be deeper than you think.

Essential and other employees should check with their supervisors if scheduled to work. Staff inclement weather information is at Inclement Winter Weather | Human Resources (uoregon.edu)

For emergency assistance, call 9-1-1 or University of Oregon Police Department at 541-346-2919.