NORFOLK, Va. — DOWNLOAD: 13News Now App
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Behind the calmness at Old Dominion University, Jared Hoernig and his team are working, planning ahead of Hurricane Dorian.
"We've been keeping our eye on it ever since it was looking like it was going to go towards Florida," said Hoernig, the Associate Director of ODU's Office of Emergency Management. "We've been working with our partners with the National Weather Service, university leadership, Norfolk Emergency Management, state emergency management."
He said as ODU's Office of Emergency Management, they treat the campus as its own city. In their office, they monitor Hurricane Dorian's projected track and potential areas that'll see impacts.
"We really have a lot of the same operating posture as the city but we also have an on-campus housing component of 4,700 students so we want to make sure that they're ready," he said.
ODU and the city of Norfolk are both cleaning out ditches and storm pipes, other problem areas, and keeping people informed. Norfolk officials said they'll also be monitoring this closely, planning just like Hoernig's team has been doing for the last several days.
"We're preparing for the worst but hoping for the best so every storm, we take them seriously. We want to make sure that we're prepared and in a good operating posture for it," said Hoernig.
And, taking it seriously and planning ahead can go a long way.
"The key thing is just to make sure that everyone is staying aware of the developments," he said.
Hoenig recommends those preparing themselves for the potential severe weather to have enough water and non-perishable food for at least three days, external chargers for phones, and knowing where evacuation routes are for your area.