Closures and evacuation procedures

SCAD has an extensive hurricane preparedness plan in place, and the health and safety of our students remain our primary concern. In the event of an evacuation, the university would provide evacuation assistance to Savannah students by operating shuttles from campus to the Savannah airport, Amtrak station, and bus terminal. Students should work with their families to develop a self-evacuation plan. This may include friends and relatives or roommates.

Develop a plan

Where will you go in the event of an evacuation? How will you get there? With whom will you evacuate? Discuss your options with your family and develop a personal plan of action.

• Evacuation destination: Create a plan for where you will go — and with whom — in the event of an evacuation. Will you go to a friend or roommate's home inland, stay with a family member, or evacuate to an inland hotel or public shelter?
• Insurance: Renters insurance is strongly recommended for students living on and off campus. Many insurers recommend creating a photo or video inventory, along with a written list, of valuable items before any emergency occurs.
• Personal transportation: If you have a personal vehicle, keep your gas tank full as soon as there is potential for a tropical storm.
• Pets: Many students living off campus have pets, but only trained service animals (not emotional support animals) may stay in a public shelter, and hotel rules vary. If you have a pet or an ESA, make a plan for the pet, as well as yourself, such as evacuating to the home of a friend or family member.

Evacuation procedures for all SCAD students

If emergency or SCAD officials indicate evacuation is necessary:

• All SCAD students, faculty, and staff will be notified via SCAD Alert by email, phone, and text message in the event of a closure or evacuation.
• If you are living in a SCAD residence hall, check with your community director or resident mentor for the evacuation timetable.
• If you are traveling in your own vehicle or with friends, leave as soon as possible, avoid flooded roads, and watch for washed-out bridges.
• If you have family near Savannah, coordinate rides with them.
• If you have no other means of evacuating, monitor local news for details of county-coordinated evacuations to inland shelters.
• Take only items that can be carried comfortably, and be prepared to be evacuated for at least three to four days.
• Pack a change of clothes, personal medication and a copy of prescriptions, important papers and records, toiletries, a blanket or sleeping bag, pillow, water, snacks, and cellphone charger.
• Remind your family of your evacuation plans.
• Use telephones, including mobile phones, for emergency calls only. Text messages can be quicker and may conserve battery power.

Evacuation information for students living on campus

If emergency or SCAD officials indicate evacuation is necessary:

• The university evacuates all residence halls when the request to evacuate is given by local authorities. Students MUST leave the residence halls.
• All university buildings are closed when an evacuation of the university is ordered.
• You have the option to self-evacuate in your personal vehicle, depart with family or friends, or evacuate via county-sponsored transportation if you have no other means.
• Remind your family of your evacuation plans.
• Room preparation: If you live in a lower-level residence hall room, remove as many personal items as possible from the floors of the rooms in case of flooding. All blinds should be raised for visibility and security checks. Electrical equipment should be unplugged.
• Inform your resident mentor and/or community director if you change your evacuation plans.

Evacuation information for parents

Your student should work with you to develop a self-evacuation plan. Where will your student go in the event of an evacuation? How will they get there? With whom will your student evacuate?

If emergency or SCAD officials indicate evacuation is necessary:

• The university works closely with the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) in Savannah, constantly monitoring any emergency situation as it develops.
• If the situation warrants, the SCAD Savannah location will be closed, and classes will be canceled. SCAD follows all procedures regarding evacuations as instructed by CEMA, and all university buildings, including residence halls, will be vacated and closed should an evacuation order be issued.
• In order to assist with appropriate planning in the event of a possible evacuation, all students will be asked early in the fall quarter to designate their plan for evacuation: self-evacuating, riding with a friend or family member, or evacuating via the local airport, train station, or bus station. In the event of an approaching storm, students will be prompted to update that information if it has changed, so that the university can make necessary arrangements to ensure the safety of our students.
• As the university monitors potential storms, all students should expect informational messages well in advance of any potential evacuation order. Upon an evacuation mandate, students will receive emails, phone calls, and text messages via SCAD Alert, the university’s emergency notification system, and should also monitor local television and radio newscasts and scad.edu.
• Students living in SCAD residence halls will be notified well in advance of any closings through SCADhome staff.
• Students living off campus should monitor local television and radio newscasts, their SCAD email, and scad.edu. Information will be announced through an automated SCAD Alert, posted online, and distributed to the news media immediately if the decision is made to close the university.
• It is very important that students update their personal contact info in MySCAD at the beginning of each academic year, as well as after any mid-year change of address or phone number, to ensure timely notification in the event of an emergency.
• Students with personal vehicles should self-evacuate to a safe location inland, and take friends or roommates with them if they are able. Those with family within a short distance should coordinate rides from family members, if necessary. Students who have no other means of evacuating should monitor local news for details of county-coordinated evacuations to inland shelters.
• All evacuating students should pack the essentials for at least 3 to 4 days. Recommended items include a change of clothes, personal medication and a copy of prescriptions, important papers and records, toiletries, a blanket or sleeping bag, pillow, water, snacks, and cellphone charger.
• Students are encouraged to contact their parents and families and remind them where they are going, should evacuation be mandated.
• Parents should be aware that in the event of an evacuation ordered by SCAD or CEMA, communications at SCAD might be temporarily disrupted as operations shift to SCAD Atlanta. Refer to scad.edu for updates during an evacuation.
• Government and Red Cross emergency management services will designate the disaster shelters. Shelters in Chatham County will not be opened for any category of hurricane prior to landfall. Information about these locations will be distributed via the SCAD Alert System, on scad.edu, in email, and through the news media. Designated public shelters also will be listed on the Chatham Emergency Management Agency website.