Governor Henry McMaster has declared a state of emergency for the state of South Carolina and has ordered evacuations for portions of the state including Colleton, Beaufort, Jasper, Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley, Horry, and Georgetown counties. He has also ordered highway lane reversal beginning Monday, September 2, at 12 p.m. for highway/routes 26 and 278 (westbound) away from the Coastline.
As the safety of students, faculty and staff is a major priority, Claflin University will close on Tuesday, September 3 and Wednesday, September 4. Evening classes and activities will also be canceled.
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to seek safety away from the predicted affected areas. Residential students are encouraged to leave campus. However, residential students who are unable to leave campus must register with their residential life coordinator no later than Tuesday, September 3 at 5 p.m. Claflin University Residential Life Coordinators will be on-hand to answer questions in case of emergencies. If you have any questions regarding residential life, please call (803) 535-5301.
If necessary, Claflin University will provide shelter and meals in the Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Wellness Complex (located on the campus).
On Monday and Tuesday, the University Dining Center will operate from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. for brunch and from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. for dinner. Late night dining will be hosted from 10 p.m. until 12 midnight.
Updates will be sent by email, posted on social media, and sent through the emergency text messaging service (https://claflin.regroup.com/signup) to alert the campus family of when the University will reopen and when classes will resume. You may also follow local media reports.
You are encouraged to follow WIS, WLTX, ABC Columbia or scemd.org for local reports on the storm.
For general information and updates, please call the Claflin University Information Line at (803) 535-5243 or visit www.claflin.edu. To reach Claflin University’s Public Safety Office, please call (803) 535-5444.