Columbia University Pandemic Flu Response

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Hurricane Irene is affecting the greater New York area. For the safety of students and the Columbia community, all events scheduled for Sunday on the Morningside campus, including undergraduate move-in, have been rescheduled or canceled.
 
All students already on campus are encouraged to plan accordingly and take appropriate precautions. Emergency services will be available for any students, faculty and staff who will be on campus Sunday. Public Safety officers will be on duty. To report an emergency on campus, call Public Safety at (212) 854-5555. For off-campus emergencies, please call 911.
 
Facilities will also be available to assist with campus and building services. To contact the Facilities Services Center, call (212) 854-2222. The Hartley Hospitality Desk can be reached at (212) 854-2779. Both services are available 24 hours a day.
 
Administrative services, including Columbia Health at Morningside, will be closed on Sunday and resume normal operations on Monday.

Most libraries will be closed both weekend days. For complete details, please visit the Libraries news page.
 
Please also refer to your respective school’s website for additional information.
 
Information for New Columbia College and Engineering Undergraduates:
 
For arrival and move-in information, please visit www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/orientation/preparing.

 
New York City Transit Update:
 
As announced Friday, all MTA subway, rail and bus services are suspended citywide beginning Saturday, August 27 at 12 p.m. Currently, no estimated time to restoration of service is available. For updates, visit http://www.mta.info.

Information on Laboratory Preparations:

Laboratories can take steps to prepare. This list is in addition to those recommendations emailed Friday on behalf of Facilities and Public Safety.
 
While supporting Departments (Facilities, Public Safety) will be on site through the storm, it is still your responsibility to secure your lab(s) and equipment.  EH&S strongly urges laboratories to take the following steps to ensure the safety and security of their research operations:
 
•    ENSURE ALL WINDOWS ARE CLOSED.  
•    PUT AWAY as many materials as possible; remove all materials from on or near windowsills. Clean benches and work surfaces, as appropriate.
•    SECURE all hazardous materials (biological, chemical, radioactive and compressed gases) including waste containers. Store all chemicals in cabinets, closets, or secure areas; provide secondary containment as necessary.  DO NOT leave chemical containers out where they may be damaged or broken by the storm’s effects.
•    VERIFY and UPDATE, as necessary, Emergency Contact information outside of your lab and on any critical equipment.
•    REFRESH DRY ICE and other specific backup materials (e.g. CO2 cylinders, nitrogen) as needed as soon as possible and in sufficient quantity to last 2-3 days.  If possible, top-off liquid nitrogen dewars and storage containers.
•    FUME HOODS should be clear of chemicals and all volatile materials, due to the possibility of power outages.
•    CONCLUDE ALL EXPERIMENTS planned for the weekend of 8/27, 28, 2011.  DO NOT begin or run experiments as access to campus may be affected.  
•    BACKING-UP and securing critical data is always a good idea.
•    WALK THROUGH the lab before leaving for the weekend.  Ensure all items are secured, cabinets and doors are locked, and that all other preparations have been completed.


If you have any questions while you are preparing your lab, please contact EH&S or reach out directly to your Research Safety Specialist:

•    Medical Center – (212) 305-6780
http://www.ehs.columbia.edu/LabAssignmentMC.html
•    Morningside, Lamont, Nevis – (212) 854-8759
http://www.ehs.columbia.edu/LabAssignment.html

 
For more information on hurricane preparedness for yourself and your family, please visit:

•    The New York City Severe Weather website:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/nycsevereweather/weather_home.shtml
•    The New York State Hurricane Preparedness website:
http://www.dhses.ny.gov/oem/safety-info/publicsafety/hurricaneprepare.cfm
•    The National Weather Service Hurricane Preparedness website:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/disaster_prevention.shtml