Campus Alert Archive
Southeastern

Southeastern Shifts to Remote at 12:30 PM Tuesday — Three Hours Before the Curfew

LAhurricaneemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond shifted to remote/online classes at 12:30 PM Tuesday, September 10, 2024 as Hurricane Francine intensified to a Category 2 storm offshore. The university initially planned to reopen Thursday at 12:30 PM but extended the closure; the campus ultimately remained closed until 7:30 AM Friday, September 13. Tangipahoa Parish saw significant wind damage and power outages but the Hammond campus avoided structural damage.

Alerts
3
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Southeastern Louisiana University
Public Masters · LA
~14,400 studentsSoutheastern Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstructionLouisiana Illuminator reporting on Francine college closures353 chars
Southeastern Alert: Due to the approach of Hurricane Francine, Southeastern Louisiana University will shift to remote/online classes at 12:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, September 10. All activities both on-campus and at satellite locations are canceled effective 12:30 p.m. Faculty will communicate with students about remote class delivery. Stay safe, Lions.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The 12:30 PM cutoff was timed to give students and staff afternoon hours to evacuate or shelter before evening rain bands
Southeastern's mascot is the Lion
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstructionLouisiana Illuminator reporting on Francine college closures364 chars
Southeastern Alert: Southeastern will be closed Wednesday, September 11 and Thursday, September 12 until 12:30 p.m. Hurricane Francine is forecast to make landfall as a Category 2 storm Wednesday afternoon and cross the parish overnight. Residential students should shelter in place. Do not travel during the storm. Tangipahoa Parish is under a state of emergency.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Tangipahoa Parish was declared a state of emergency by Governor Jeff Landry as the storm approached
Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish on September 11, 2024 and tracked north-northeast across Tangipahoa Parish that night
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction190 chars
Southeastern Alert: Normal operations will resume at 7:30 a.m. Friday, September 13. The campus has been inspected and is safe. Classes will meet as scheduled on Friday. Welcome back, Lions.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed; the campus was initially scheduled to reopen Thursday September 12 at 12:30 PM but the reopening was extended to Friday September 13 at 7:30 AM due to continued storm impacts
Southeastern serves the I-12 corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, with most students commuting from the surrounding parishes
Context

Background

Hurricane Francine intensified rapidly in the central Gulf of Mexico on September 10, 2024 and made landfall in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana as a Category 2 storm late on September 11 with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph. The storm tracked north-northeast across Tangipahoa Parish overnight, knocking down trees and disrupting power across the I-12 corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond — one of the largest public regional comprehensive universities in Louisiana — shifted to remote/online classes at 12:30 PM Tuesday September 10 and closed campus from Wednesday morning through Thursday. The university initially planned to reopen Thursday at 12:30 PM, but extended the closure and reopened at 7:30 AM Friday, September 13. The campus avoided structural damage. Compared with Nicholls State 30 miles south, which took a direct hit from Francine's eye and lost a residence-hall-adjacent academic building's roof, Southeastern's primary impact was wind damage to trees and brief power outages. The case illustrates how the relatively narrow but intense wind field of a Category 2 hurricane can spare campuses just 30 miles from the eye.
Analysis

Key Findings

Southeastern shifted to remote classes at exactly 12:30 PM Tuesday September 10 — three hours before Tangipahoa's emergency declaration
Normal operations resumed 7:30 AM Friday September 13 — the campus was initially scheduled to reopen Thursday at 12:30 PM but extended the closure by one day due to ongoing storm impacts
The campus avoided structural damage despite being ~30 miles from Francine's path
Tangipahoa Parish was under a gubernatorial state of emergency during the storm period
Outcome
Remote classes from 12:30 PM Tuesday September 10. Closed all day Wednesday September 11 and Thursday September 12. Normal operations resumed 7:30 AM Friday September 13 — one day later than initially planned. No reported injuries.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Tropical Storm Francine: Louisiana college and university closures - Louisiana Illuminator
    lailluminator.com
  2. Official
    Francine weakens to a tropical storm as it moves across Louisiana - NPR
    npr.org
  3. Official
    Hurricane Francine 2024 - National Weather Service Lake Charles
    weather.gov
  4. Official
    Hurricane Francine Update (Southeastern Louisiana University)
    southeastern.edu
Tags
hurricanefrancinelouisianahammondtangipahoaremote-learningmid-day-reopeningi-12-corridor
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion