Campus Alert Archive
UVI

150 Students Sheltered on Campus as Two Category 5 Hurricanes Hit the US Virgin Islands' Only Public University in 13 Days

VIhurricaneemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Between September 6 and September 19, 2017, the University of the Virgin Islands — the only public university in the US Virgin Islands — was struck by two consecutive Category 5 hurricanes. Hurricane Irma hit on September 6 with 150 students sheltering on UVI's St. Thomas campus, followed by Hurricane Maria on September 19, when 90 students remained at St. Thomas and approximately 60 students sheltered at the St. Croix campus. UVI sustained an estimated $51 million in campus damage; classes resumed October 9, 2017. More than 2,600 people associated with the university were affected.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
University of the Virgin Islands
Territory · VI
~2,300 studentsUVI 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 reconstruction428 chars
UVI EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION: Hurricane Irma is forecast to impact the U.S. Virgin Islands as a major hurricane within the next 24 hours. UVI campuses are CLOSED effective immediately. Students remaining in residence halls should report to the designated shelter location and follow housing staff instructions. Faculty and staff should secure homes and shelter in place. Stay tuned to UVI Alert and territorial emergency channels.

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

Approximately 150 students were housed on UVI's St. Thomas campus when Irma made landfall on September 6, 2017
The US Virgin Islands observe Atlantic Standard Time (AST, UTC-4) year-round and do not observe daylight saving time
UVI's two main campuses on St. Thomas and St. Croix are separated by 40 miles of open ocean — a logistical challenge during territorial hurricane response
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction416 chars
UVI EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION: Hurricane Maria is now forecast to make a direct or near-direct hit on the territory tomorrow as a major hurricane. Both campuses remain closed. Students still in residence on St. Thomas (90 currently) and St. Croix (approximately 60) must remain in shelter and follow housing staff instructions. Do not attempt to travel between islands. We will send updates as soon as conditions allow.

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

By Maria's landfall on September 19, only 90 students remained at St. Thomas (down from 150 during Irma) and approximately 60 students sheltered at St. Croix
Maria struck the territory as a Category 5 hurricane just 13 days after Irma — one of the shortest intervals between consecutive Category 5 strikes on a US territory in recorded history
Travel between St. Thomas and St. Croix requires a ferry or charter flight, both of which were impossible during the storm windows
FOLLOW-UPEmail
Approximate reconstruction349 chars
UVI will resume classes Monday, October 9, 2017. Students and employees displaced by the hurricanes can apply to the UVI Rise relief fund. Both campuses remain partially damaged but core academic functions will resume. Modified schedules will be communicated by your school. Thank you to the UVI community for your resilience through Irma and Maria.

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

Classes resumed approximately one month after Irma and three weeks after Maria — a rapid academic recovery for a campus that sustained $51 million in damage
UVI launched the UVI Rise relief fund for students, faculty, and staff affected by the hurricanes; more than 2,600 people associated with the university were affected
President David Hall publicly emphasized institutional resilience and the university's role as a community anchor in the recovery
Context

Background

The University of the Virgin Islands is the only public university in the US Virgin Islands, serving approximately 2,300 students across its St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses. The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season subjected the territory to two consecutive Category 5 hurricanes within 13 days. Hurricane Irma struck on September 6, 2017 at peak Category 5 intensity with sustained winds near 178–180 mph as it passed directly over St. Thomas — Irma at peak (180 mph / 155 kt) was the strongest Atlantic hurricane outside the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea in recorded history. 150 students were sheltered on UVI's St. Thomas campus during Irma. Just 13 days later, Hurricane Maria followed on September 19, with 90 students still at St. Thomas and approximately 60 at St. Croix. UVI ultimately suffered an estimated $51 million in damage across both campuses. President David Hall reopened the university for classes on October 9, 2017, and launched the UVI Rise relief fund. More than 2,600 people associated with the university were affected. The case is significant for the archive because it documents disaster alerts at a US territory's only public university — and because the back-to-back Cat 5 strikes are one of the most severe consecutive-hurricane scenarios faced by any US institution in modern history. UVI's experience also informed FEMA and Department of Education planning for territorial higher-education resilience after Hurricane Maria's parallel impact on the University of Puerto Rico.
Analysis

Key Findings

UVI was hit by two consecutive Category 5 hurricanes within 13 days — one of the most severe consecutive-storm scenarios faced by any US higher-education institution in modern history
150 students sheltered on the St. Thomas campus during Irma; 90 remained for Maria 13 days later, plus 60 at St. Croix
Total damage was estimated at $51 million across both campuses, with classes resuming October 9, 2017 — a rapid academic recovery
UVI is the only public university in the US Virgin Islands, making its closure effectively a territorial higher-education emergency
The UVI Rise relief fund became a model for institutional disaster relief at small territorial institutions
Logistical separation between the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses (40 miles of ocean) added complexity to the territorial response
Outcome
UVI suffered approximately $51 million in campus damage (estimates ranged from $40 million to $60 million) across both St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses. 150 students sheltered on the St. Thomas campus during Irma. Classes resumed October 9, 2017 after both storms. The university launched the UVI Rise relief fund for students, faculty, and staff. More than 2,600 people associated with the university were affected.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Source
    Caribbean universities deal with damage from Hurricanes Irma, Maria - Inside Higher Ed
    insidehighered.com
  2. News
    With Extensive Damage to its Campuses, UVI Charts a Path Forward - St. Thomas Source
    stthomassource.com
  3. Official
    Historic Disasters - Hurricane Irma/Maria U.S. Virgin Islands - FEMA
    fema.gov
  4. Source
    Hurricane Irma - Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
  5. Source
    Hurricane Maria - Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
  6. Source
    University of the Virgin Islands - Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
hurricaneterritoryus-virgin-islandscategory-5consecutive-hurricanesirmamariashelter-on-campuscampus-damageuvi-rise
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion