Salve Regina has been monitoring the pending path of potential hurricane Henri closely. The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch for several areas of Rhode Island, including Newport, Kent, Bristol and Washington Counties as well as Block Island. Henri is expected to become a category 1 hurricane later this afternoon and make landfall near Newport on Sunday evening. Conditions are expected to deteriorate in our area late Saturday and last through Monday.

Based on information available at this time, the University had delayed all move-in activities slated for Sunday August 22, and Monday, August 23, until Tuesday, August 24. Those students affected by this adjustment will be contacted directly by their program administrators for scheduling changes.

In addition, Salve is recommending that all students currently housed on campus remain on campus in designated housing during the storm. There will be no sanctioned activities on Sunday. Pedestrian travel on campus is also restricted due to high winds likely Saturday evening through Monday. Students are encouraged to stay indoors on Sunday with the recommendation of driving to the dining hall on campus and parking in the Miley lot while dining instead of walking, if possible. Campus facilities will be closed on Sunday.

Please ensure that all office windows are closed and secured prior to leaving campus today. Employees are encouraged to work with their supervisors to determine the best course of action for managing their responsibilities, including the potential to work remotely on Monday.

Potential impacts from Hurricane Henri are listed below:

POTENTIAL IMPACTS
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* FLOODING RAIN:

– Streets and parking lots become rivers of moving water with underpasses submerged. Driving conditions become dangerous. Many road and bridge closures could occur.

– Life-threatening surge, major beach erosion and strong rip currents.

* WIND:

– High winds near 70 MPH causing damage to roofing and siding materials, road signs and damage to porches, awnings, carports, and sheds.
– Trees snapped or uprooted, but with greater numbers in places where trees are shallow rooted.
– Some roads impassable from large debris, and more within urban or heavily wooded places. A few bridges, causeways, and access routes impassable.
– Power and communications outages.

Please continue to monitor email, social media and SALVEtoday for updated information concerning the storm and campus activities.

Tian Quinn ’21, who is double majoring in global studies and Spanish, and minoring in English, communications and media, is creating a bilingual children’s book about climate change as part of her study abroad program in Bolivia. Quinn is working with Kids Books Bolivia to research and write her book, which will be made available to children for free or at reduced cost.

As part of her independent research project about climate change, Quinn is volunteering at a bee farm that produces organic products and emphasizes the idea of sustainable living versus exploiting natural resources.

“I hope to understand how climate change and human action are changing the relationship of bees in nature,” Quinn explains.  “Afterwards, I will be turning my research into a children’s book, working closely with Kids’ Books Bolivia where I will be writing in both English and Spanish as well as drawing the illustrations myself.”

Pre-orders for Quinn’s book at $10 each are being accepted at the GoFundMe page she set up to support the program, which helps underwrite the cost for Bolivian children.