An initial cleanup effort, including debris and water removal, is underway at USF St. Pete in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, according to a campus spokesperson.

Damage assessment is still ongoing as of Friday afternoon, spokesman Matthew Cimitile confirmed. He said the flooding affected a “few low-lying buildings,” but did not reach any residence halls.

He could not confirm the buildings that were affected by the storm surge or how high the water levels reached. 

Cimitile said power outages caused by Hurricane Helene are still affecting the campus, including the dorms. He said there is no estimate for when power will be restored to the area.

Duke Energy, which is Pinellas County’s energy utility, has 161,000 reported outages in the area, according to their website.

USF St. Pete will remain closed through Saturday, according to the university. A final decision on whether the campus will reopen on Sunday will be announced Saturday evening.

Related: USF St. Pete to remain closed through Saturday due to Hurricane Helene – The Oracle

Classes are still set to resume on Monday across all USF campuses. 

The St. Pete area saw record storm surge during the hurricane, which made landfall as a Category 4 in Florida’s Big Bend region.

A tidal gauge near the Albert Whitted Airport in St. Pete recorded a flooding peak at 6.3 feet above average high tide around 12:30 a.m. Friday. The airport is located next to the USF St. Pete campus. 

This flooding broke a new record for the area, surpassing both Hurricane Elena in 1985 and Hurricane Idalia in 2023, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Prior to landfall, residents from USF St. Pete received mandatory evacuation orders. Those without a place to stay were relocated to the Juniper-Poplar Hall at the Tampa campus. 

St. Pete residents are expected to stay at the Tampa campus until at least Saturday afternoon. Any updates will be communicated directly to residents. 

In the Tampa campus, the damage is more minimal. 

Althea Johnson, a campus spokesperson, said crews have already sweeped the campus and only found downed trees and some debris. 

The Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee campuses will resume regular operations on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the Sarasota-Manatee campus said USF is monitoring the impacts of the hurricane, but did not elaborate on any damages to the campus area.

If readers have photos of the debris and flooding at the St. Pete campus and wish to share them with The Oracle, please email oracleeditor@gmail.com.