Dear UM Community,

I am sure you share my concern about those who are in the path of Hurricane Florence. While downgraded to a Category 2 storm, Hurricane Florence is bearing down on the east coast, expected to make landfall tomorrow afternoon. With the expected storm surge and up to 30” of rain, forecasters are predicting catastrophic flooding.

While Montana is far from the storm, we know there are members of our community who are affected by Hurricane Florence, with family members and loved ones potentially in harm’s way. Our campus employees are here to help. If you need support, please reach out so that we may assist you.

• For students, UM’s Curry Counseling Center provides confidential counseling, including urgent, one-time appointments. Call (406) 243-4711 to make an appointment. You may walk-in without an appointment if you have an urgent need. There are after-hours hotlines available, as well.

• For faculty and staff members, MUS employee benefits include access to counseling services. Refer to your specific provide/plan information for those details, or contact Human Resources Services for assistance.

About 5.25 million people live in areas currently under hurricane warnings or watches and an almost equal number live in places covered by tropical storm warnings or watches. There will be significant impacts to the region.  We want to offer our support to campus community members during this difficult time.

For those looking to support relief and recovery efforts, there are many options. It’s important to do your research to ensure support is given to credible, highly rated organizations. Charity Navigator, an organization that researches and rates such organizations, has information on their website specifically for supporting Hurricane Florence relief and recovery efforts.

Those affected by Hurricane Florence, both along the east coast and here at UM, are in our thoughts.

Seth