Sirens sounded across campus and could be heard near 9th Street in Durham Monday morning as Duke entered a tornado warning for the main campus.
In a DukeAlert notification, the University stated that the main campus entered a tornado warning at 7:37 a.m. The alert was cleared 15 minutes later, but was reissued at 8:17 a.m. The warning was canceled at 8:48 a.m.
"Nature threw us a curve ball this morning and I’m sorry for those of you who were already on your way to classes (or in class) when the cancellation text came around," Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, wrote in an email to students. "The speed with which conditions changed in just a few minutes this morning was striking and I know the Provost and those who consult with her worked very fast to make the decision to cancel classes until noon today. This just reinforces the unpredictability of such major storms though we hope that, at least for this area, the worst has passed."
Due to the weather, all classes were canceled until 12:00 p.m., the University announced at 8:36 a.m.
"A tornado has been sighted or radar indicates a thunderstorm circulation that can spawn a tornado in the area near Duke’s main campus in Durham," the alert stated, not specifying which was the case.
The alert warned residents to seek shelter in a sturdy building immediately if they are outside, move to lower and interior rooms if inside, avoid windows, lie down in a low-lying area if a shelter is not available and protect themselves from flying debris.
"We are attempting to run all buses the best we can through the day today," read an announcement on the TransLoc app. "There are going to be major delays all day for all routes based off weather due to flooding and other conditions."
The warning comes as Duke students prepared to return to classes Monday morning after Hurricane Florence. The National Weather Service also issued a tornado warning until 8 a.m. for the area, but extended it until 8:45 a.m.
Campus sustained large amounts of rainfall. The Engineering Quadrangle area could be seen Monday morning with rainwater across the sidewalk.
The Duke Gardens announced that it will be closed until noon on Tuesday to "assess hazardous conditions due to flooding or other damage." The Gardens could be seen inundated Monday.
Other areas in the Carolinas were impacted more severely than Duke, Moneta added in his email.
"The aftermath of the rains and winds will be felt for quite a long time and some parts of these states have yet to even reach their peak flooding," Moneta wrote. "Property damages and personal losses will be extreme but the emotional toll this will take is immeasurable."
Moneta suggested students volunteer with the Red Cross to assist in Florence relief efforts.
Check back for updates to this developing story.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.