Updated as of Sept. 30 at 10:56 p.m.
As the university prepares for severe weather through the night, families continue to come to campus for what remains of Family Weekend.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 8:33 p.m.
A flash flood warning is in effect for the Alamance County area until 11:30 p.m. According to an emergency alert from the National Weather Service, Ian is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. The emergency alert said traveling is discouraged unless fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order. Alamance County is not currently under an evacuation order.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 6:22 p.m.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 5:36 p.m.
Ian is now a post-tropical cyclone.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 4:08 p.m.
A tree has fallen, causing power lines to smoke at 613 Williamsdale Road in Graham.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 3:40 p.m.
The city of Burlington Administrative Offices have closed for the day.
According to a media release from the city, Link transit will end service at 5:05 p.m. due to high winds and in effort to protect passengers. Link will resume normal service in the morning.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 3:33 p.m.
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, there are no designated evacuation routes set in place, citizens are advised to stay inside and stay off roads unless absolutely necessary. Right now there aren’t any plans in place to set up evacuation routes. There are currently no road closures near Elon, but there are closures in Brunswick County, in Sunset Beach Bridge and in Carteret County, specifically on US - 70 over the North River. Both of these closures are bridges due to the high winds.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 3:11 p.m.
Alamance County is under flood watch until further notice.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 3 p.m.
Mail services, Belk library, Beck pool, and PARC gym are closed for the rest of day Sept. 30. All club sports, intramural sports and group X fitness classes after 4 p.m. are canceled. Outdoor facilities will also close. Student health services is also now closed and will reopen for appointments at 9 a.m. tomorrow. There will be no Late Night Lakeside tonight.
The following services are still open for the rest of the day Sept. 30th:
The bookstore, until 7 p.m.
PARC fitness center, until midnight
Dining services, operating as normal
Moseley center until 2 a.m.
Trams and shuttles until 8 p.m. tonight
On Saturday Oct. 1st, the following services will operate as such.
Belk library: Reopening at 10:30 a.m. for regular the remainder of the weekend
Mail Services: ire-open at 11 a.m. Saturday as scheduled
Student Health Services: Reopen for appointments starting at 9 a.m.
Tangent EAT+BAR closed at 3 p.m. but will reopen at 5 p.m.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 2:31 p.m.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a 2 p.m. severe weather press conference that North Carolina residents should take precautions.
“We expect drenching rain and sustained, heavy winds over most of our state. Our message today is simple. Be smart and be safe. Listen to your local officials and be aware of potential flooding,” Cooper said.
Cooper said in the conference that more than 29,000 homes and businesses did not have power as of 1:30 p.m. Cooper said utility companies have brought in extra crewes from other parts of the country, and there are thousands of workers ready to repair lines and clear downed trees and debris.
William Ray, North Carolina’s director of Emergency Management, said in the briefing that North Carolina residents should not expect widespread evacuations. But Cooper urged people to stay off of the roads.
Cooper reminded residents to watch out for state Department of Transportation workers who are working to clear roadways. “
“The best thing you can do is stay off the roads so they can do their job safely,” a second Emergency Management official said in the press briefing.
Both Cooper and Emergency Management officials encouraged people to, “turn around, don’t drown, if you see standing water on the road.”
Updated as of 2:29 p.m.
Health Services is closed for the day and will reopen at 9 a.m. Oct. 1 for appointments and will operate on a regular weekend schedule.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 2:22 p.m.
Hurricane Ian has made a fourth landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina, with 85 mph winds as a Category 1 hurricane.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 1:40 p.m.
There are three active power outages in Alamance County according to Duke Energy. One outage is in Oak Hill in Elon.
Crews are working to restore power and the cause of the outage is unknown.
There are currently 26 total delays and 60 total cancellations at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, two total delays and 32 total cancellations at Piedmont Triad International Airport and nine total delays and 26 total cancellations at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 1:34 p.m.
Some Elon restaurants have either closed or delayed it’s openings after the power outage earlier this morning, setting them off schedule.
TANGENT Eat+Bar is closed for the day, but encourages patrons to eat at other local Elon restaurants.
Pandora's Pies is set to open at 2:00 p.m. after being unable to prepare ingredients earlier in the day.
The Fat Frogg will open at 2:00 p.m. and operate normal hours.
All other downtown Elon restaurants plan to remain open for normal operating hours.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 1:03 p.m.
The Drury Inn & Suites Burlington Still has power as of 12:42 p.m. While the Drury Inn has had cancellations, the hotel is still operating at full capacity and people have been making reservations today.
The Inn at Elon has power and is still fully booked as of 12:53 p.m.
The Country Inn & Suites in Burlington has power and is still fully booked. As people cancel, evacuees are beginning to take open rooms, according to the hotel.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 12:52 p.m.
The university is closing at 1 p.m. Friday, according to an email from Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley. Power is restored to campus. Facilities management employees are allowed to leave at 1 p.m., but may stay to help with debris clean up when the larger storm hits the area, according to Facilities Management gardener Frank Clapp.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 12:39 p.m.
The ABC Store in Burlington will operate under normal hours and will remain open until 9 p.m. Sept. 30.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 11:54 a.m.
Elon University cancels classes, Family Weekend events Sept. 30
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 9:28 a.m.
According to the National Weather Service, showers, with thunderstorms are possible after 2 p.m. It is also possible the storms could produce heavy rain.
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 9:24 a.m.
The city of Burlington is under a Tropical Storm Warning.
Updated as of Sept. 30 as of 9:20 a.m.
Power out across Elon University campus, town of Elon
Updated as of Sept. 30 at 7:38 a.m.
Rainfall has started in North Carolina with it expected to continue consistently throughout the weekend.
Elon is set to receive 2 to 6 inches of rain with wind gusts ranging in speeds from 20 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts up to 45 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Ian is a category 1 hurricane at the current time with wind speeds at 85 mph and is expected to hit South Carolina this afternoon.
Earlier this morning the National Hurricane Center put out a hurricane warning for much of the South Carolina coast.
“The center of Ian will approach and reach the coast of South Carolina today, and then move farther inland across eastern South Carolina and central North Carolina tonight and Saturday,” the Hurricane Center wrote in a press release.
Elon remains under a Tropical Storm warning until this afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
Elon also remains under a Flash Flood watch until Oct. 1 at 9:00 a.m.
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 10:01 p.m.
Ian strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane as it turned toward the Carolinas Thursday afternoon. The National Hurricane Center predicts Ian will make landfall near Charleston, South Carolina, Sept. 30.
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 8:07 p.m
A tropical storm warning has been issued for the Elon area, according to an Elon E-Alert to the university community.
The alert said to await further updates on changing weather.
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 7:05 p.m.
Elon sophomore Grace Minton's family is from Winter Park, Florida. Her parents were scheduled to come to Elon's campus this weekend for Family Weekend, but their flight was canceled. Although her family has not experienced flooding themselves, Minton said the flooding all around Orlando, especially in the streets is bad.
"My family doesn't have power or internet, so it’s been difficult to get in touch with them. ... I am really worried about them right now," Minton said.
Orlando was one of many cities that experienced power outages today. According to the Associated Press, more than 2.6 million homes have lost power in Florida.
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 5:39 p.m.
Ian has regained hurricane status as it heads toward South Carolina. In South Carolina, a storm surge and hurricane warning has been issued along the entire coast. Ian's center is currently about 240 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina, with maximum winds of 75 mph.
In a press briefing earlier this afternoon, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper encouraged North Carolina residents to prepare for the storm.
“Hurricane Ian reminds us how unpredictable these storms can be, and North Carolinians should be prepared when it reaches our state,” Cooper said.
Ian could bring flash floods, storm surges and strong winds across parts of North and South Carolina this weekend, starting tomorrow when it is predicted to make landfall in South Carolina.
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 5:34 p.m.
Mary Jane McQuhae has a senior daughter at Elon. She lives in Punta Gorda, Florida, which was passed over by the eye of the storm. McQuhae said she evacuated to Fort Lauderdale on the Atlantic Coast and returned to her home today, which is located on a canal.
“Because the eye was right at us, the canal emptied. But we didn’t get storm surge like Fort Myers or Naples. This is a blessing. My home is 9 ft above ground,” she wrote in a statement to Elon News Network.
She said she knew people who stayed, but she fled.
“I evacuated to Ft Lauderdale but decided to come back today to assess damages,” she wrote. “I have a home that I just bought 2 weeks ago in remodel. Losing 3 homes - yikes. One of the most stressful things I have been through. My husband I moved here for sailing and being close to the water. It has its perks, we leave directly for our backyard. But with that comes risk.”
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 4:44 p.m.
Best Western Plus in Burlington is allowing free cancellations for families who are no longer coming to Family Weekend because of the storm.
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 4:28 p.m.
The center of Tropical Storm Ian has moved off of the east coast of Florida and is located east of Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to both the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service in Raleigh, Ian is forecasted to regain hurricane status as it continues to churn in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm is expected to make a second landfall in the U.S. in South Carolina on Friday.
According to the National Weather Service, once inland, Ian is predicted to weaken — with the storm making its closest approach to central North Carolina, including Elon, overnight between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. As of the 2 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Ian will be a weak Tropical Storm or a Tropical Depression when it makes its closest approach.
Wind gusts between 35 and 57 mph are expected throughout central North Carolina, according to the National Weather Service in Raleigh. The earliest time for the arrival of tropical-storm-force winds is during daylight hours on Friday. Moderate flooding is likely.
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 2:49 p.m.
Dancing in the Landscape to be available via recorded video
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 2:36 p.m.
Hotels are still fully booked for Family Weekend despite tropical storm Ian which is headed up the coast now.
Starting this afternoon travelers from anywhere can cancel and get a full refund on their reservation this weekend, according to management at the Tru by Hilton in Burlington.
There have only been three cancellations due to the storm at the Tru. But the hotel is still fully booked. That’s because management is encouraging parents to turn to the Elon Parent To Parent Facebook page to swap reservations.
The Drury Inn & Suites in Burlington told Elon News Network they are waving all change and cancellation fees, even within 24 hours of the original reservation.
If guests have prepaid and cancel they will be refunded in full. While some reservations have been canceled, they are being booked by new guests so management said the hotel is still fully booked.
There is a severe weather plan in place if necessary.
The Inn at Elon told ENN guests will be refunded in full if they cancel. They are still fully booked.
The Courtyard Marriott told ENN guests will be refunded in full if they cancel due to the storm, but guests who prepaid for their stay wouldn't be refunded.
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 1:43 p.m.
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for central North Carolina which includes Alamance County. The flash flood watch runs from Friday morning through Saturday morning.
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 1:24 p.m.
Kailey Tracy ’17 is currently packing for her move two hours south from Jacksonville, Florida to St. Petersburg, Florida, but there’s only one problem: Ian is continuing to move paths and head closer to her current town.
She said what she has noticed is that many people evacuated the Tampa area because initially, they thought that that area would be hit the hardest.
“When this all started to happen, you know, Tampa was supposed to take pretty much the brunt of it, like what we saw in southwest Florida which is obviously, you know, devastating,” she said. “Our friends who worked there, and I just can’t even fathom what they’re going through.
Tracy said her new apartment complex in St. Petersburg is currently without power. If they do not restore power by Saturday, Tracy said she plans to move into a hotel. She is set to start her next job Oct. 10.
“I’ll just have to see if they send us an email today, my new complex saying they don’t have power. They don’t know when Duke Energy will restore power,” she said. “Thankfully it looks like they kind of dodged a bullet as well. They still have a lot of damage obviously, but it’s not as bad as it could have been there.”
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 1:18 p.m.
School has been canceled for all Alamance Burlington School Systems students and staff for Sept. 30.
The ABSS school closure includes all weekend school activities. ABSS is set to return to normal hours beginning at 8 a.m. Monday.
Updated as of September 29 at 12:16 p.m.
Elon senior Caroline Layson’s family lives in Winter Park, Florida which is just north of Orlando.
Photo courtesy of Caroline Layson's family.
They live on Lake Osceola and their dock is currently 18 inches underwater.
Her family's house is on an incline and she said they have no flooding inside the house, but the town is currently under a 5 p.m. curfew because of flooding in the streets.
The house has a few ceiling leaks, according to Layson.
“I am anxious about being so far away because I can't do much to help nor can I fly or drive home because the roads are closed,” Layson said.
Updated as of Sept. 29 at 11:38 a.m.
Ian has been downgraded to a tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center after winds slowed to 65 mph.
Burlington is under a Tropical Storm Warning until further notice is issued by the National Weather Service.
“Tropical Storm Ian will emerge off the Florida coast today and make its way toward the Southeast coast tonight. This will put it on course to move into the Carolinas on Friday as a strong tropical storm or weak hurricane.” The National Weather Service wrote in the release.
Based on Ian’s current path, Elon is likely to receive around 2 to 4 inches of rain and wind speeds around 30 to 40 mph this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center. There is also a possibility of flash flooding Friday afternoon into Saturday morning.
Heavy rain is the largest threat statewide according to the North Carolina Emergency Management. The NCEM tweeted this morning that coastal flood warnings and advisories are in effect for areas of the central coast through early Saturday, October 1.
North Carolina remains in the state of emergency declared by Gov. Roy Cooper yesterday.
“North Carolinians should stay aware, keep a close eye on the forecast and prepare their emergency supplies,” Cooper tweeted.
Cooper plans to hold a severe weather briefing this afternoon at 3:00 pm with emergency management officials. The briefing will be live streamed on Cooper's Twitter and Facebook.
Updated as of Sept. 28 at 6:42 p.m.
North Carolina declares state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Ian’s potential impact
Updated as of Sept. 28 at 6:24 p.m.
Elon University cancels, moves some Family Weekend events
Updated as of Sept. 28 at 4:20 p.m.
Hurricane Ian continues to bring storm damage to Florida as it makes it way toward Atlantic coast