Hurricane Information

Texas A&M University-Kingsville is located along the Coastal Bend, 40 miles south of Corpus Christi. During the hurricane season A&M-Kingsville carefully monitors all adverse weather in the Gulf of Mexico.

A&M-Kingsville has a Crisis Management Team (CMT) that consists of key professionals from throughout the university. These individuals meet regularly to plan operations during a campus crises. This includes planning for hurricanes.

A&M-Kingsville regards each severe weather threat (such as hurricane or tornado) as a potentially hazardous condition. When severe weather threatens, please listen to emergency warnings on local television and radio stations, and take such warnings seriously.

Canceling Courses and University Operations

If a decision is made to cancel classes due to severe weather or other emergency situations, local radio, television stations, and area daily newspapers are notified immediately. All official decisions will be made by the President and communicated to the campus community via email, the hurricane website, and the local media. The university's decision to cancel classes or special events is made independently of decisions made by school districts and surrounding cities and counties.

Unless an announcement specifically says A&M-Kingsville has canceled classes or is closed, students and employees should assume classes will be held as scheduled and that the university is open for business.

The radio and television stations devote much air time to school and work closings whenever bad weather hits or threatens the area. Be sure to watch and listen to these newscasts for information.

Dealing with Rumors

During a crisis the student body will have many rumors circulating throughout campus. These will range from class closures, to buses coming early, to mandatory evacuations. Students are urged not to panic or participate in the rumor generation; and to verify information. One of the best sources of information will be on this website, which is often one of the more accurate information sources, or your Student Affairs office (361-593-3612).

When Weather Turns Bad

What happens when the weather looks bad, but you still have not heard any reports about campus closings or delaying its schedule? Because of the great number of calls received, the radio and television stations usually broadcast information only about closings or delays. If you do not see or hear a report about A&M-Kingsville, you should assume that the university is operating normally. A&M-Kingsville, and its location, are different than those campuses located in Corpus Christi. However, students and employees are urged to exercise their best judgment about whether they can safely travel to campus in hazardous weather conditions.

Students who live in the residence halls should communicate, as appropriate, with their RA's as to where they will be going and a telephone number, if available, and where they may be reached. Students are urged to have a personal plan and to communicate this plan with their families and friends.

Your Personal Plan & Safety

Prior to a campus closure or classes being canceled, if you, as a student, feel unsafe and need to leave campus and the Kingsville area at any time, please exercise this prerogative. Be sure to communicate this decision with your faculty and your family.

The university is not designated as an emergency shelter. If an evacuation of the campus is ordered, ALL students, faculty and staff must leave the university, except for emergency operations personnel. In the aftermath of a major storm, movement to and from the campus may be restricted.

Evacuations & What it Means

During a crisis it may become necessary to evacuate the residence halls or the local community. This ensures that the Kingsville community is out of the path of a storm.

If an evacuation is necessary there is typically a recommendation by local officials for the community to "voluntarily evacuate." This means all citizens should begin seeking shelter elsewhere for their own safety. Citizens are not required to leave, but should use their judgment in deciding whether to leave the area for their own safety.

If the storm worsens, or its path remains directed toward the Kingsville area, a "mandatory evacuation" order may be called by local officials. This means all citizens should immediately begin seeking shelter elsewhere and that a potential serious threat to one's safety may be imminent if one does not leave. Citizens are not required to leave, but should leave the area for their own safety. Often during this type of evacuation the local community will provide some minor assistance to those that do not have the means to depart the area on their own. As always, individuals should always have a personal plan should this not be immediately available.

Should Kingsville remain threatened the local officials may order a "forced evacuation." This means local law enforcement or military may travel throughout the local community and insist that all residents depart the area for their own safety and the safety of the community. Citizens are required to comply with this order as noncompliance may result in one's death.

These orders affect A&M-Kingsville in many ways. During an "involuntary evacuation" order A&M-Kingsville will likely advise the campus community to begin seeking shelter elsewhere. Students, staff, and faculty should begin immediately implementing their own personal plan. The campus will likely remain open. During a "mandatory evacuation" A&M-Kingsville will most likely cancel classes and begin closing the residence halls. The campus community will be asked to leave and to follow their personal plan for safety. Students will be strongly encouraged to ride-share so every student has a place to go and a way to get there. Off campus students, as local residents of the city and county, will be encouraged to follow evacuation information provided by the local community. Some assistance will likely be provided by A&M-Kingsville, such as shuttle service, for a very limited amount of time.

Hurricane Preparedness

When a tropical storm or hurricane enters the Gulf of Mexico, the CMT immediately meets and begins to provide regular campus advisories to faculty, staff, and students via the campus email and web system. These short advisories are intended to provide some information to the campus community and to assure the campus community that the CMT is meeting and monitoring the activity in the Gulf.

The hurricane procedures for the campus are based on the severity of the storm and the amount of time before the actual storm may reach Kingsville. For example, if the storm is a category 1 or 2 storm, the campus will likely remain open and effort will be made to keep the campus community informed. At 72 hours, 48 hours, 36 hours, etc. different decisions and activities occur throughout campus. Outdoor supplies may be secured, roofs may be inspected, and hazardous chemicals may be secured in anticipation of a hurricane. Of course things are subject to change depending on the projected path of the storm.

If the storm is a category 3 or above the campus may close if the projected track suggests a significant threat to the Kingsville area. The decision to close campus is typically made by the University President approximately 30-36 hours before expected landfall. Should the campus close it is the expectation that the entire campus community leave campus and seek shelter elsewhere, with family or friends.

This does not mean students and their families should not take other precautions. Underlying all activity of the CMT during hurricane season is the responsibility of the student and their family to have a personal plan. If at anytime the student or family feels it necessary to leave the Kingsville area for their own safety they should exercise this prerogative.