Florida colleges, universities closing ahead of Tropical Storm Helene

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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Multiple colleges and universities around the Tampa Bay area have announced school closures ahead of Tropical Storm Helene, which is expected to hit Florida later this week.

University of South Florida

In Tampa, the University of South Florida announced all classes would be canceled beginning Wednesday, Sept. 25, and will not resume until Monday, Sept. 30.

In addition, all USF campuses will be closed from Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 25-27.

Residence halls on both the Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee campuses will remain open, but residence halls in St. Petersburg will close on Wednesday. Students in St. Petersburg without a place to stay will be taken to the Tampa campus.

More information about the university’s storm response can be found on the school’s website.

New College of Florida

New College in Sarasota announced the campus would be closed from Wednesday, Sept. 25, to Friday, Sept. 27.

Classes are also canceled for those dates, with normal classes planned to resume Monday, Sept. 30.

“The safety of our students, faculty and staff is always our top priority,” the college wrote on Facebook.

All campus events, including athletics practices and games, are canceled from Wednesday through Sunday, Sept. 29.

A voluntary evacuation is in effect for all students living on campus. Any students who have nowhere to go but wish to evacuate can find shelter at the Sudakoff Conference Center.

South Florida State College

South Florida State College in Highlands County announced it would be canceling all classes, in-person and online, at all locations for Thursday, Sept. 26.

All offices and centers on campus will also be closed.

The college plans to reopen on Monday, Sept. 30.

Hillsborough Community College

Hillsborough Community College will close at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 25, through Thursday, Sept. 26. All afternoon and evening classes have been canceled.

The latest information regarding planned reopenings or further closures will be on the school’s website.

Pasco-Hernando State College

Pasco-Hernando State College is closing its campuses through Friday, Sept. 27.

All classes, both on campus and online, have also been canceled.

Normal operations on campus are expected to resume Friday, Sept. 27.

Keiser University

Due to the threat of severe weather caused by Helene, the following Keiser University campuses will be closed starting at 2 p.m. Wednesday until further notice:

• Keiser University Sarasota
• Keiser University Tampa
• Keiser University Clearwater
• Keiser University New Port Richey