Offering support to our UF family in the wake of Hurricane Ian
The University of Florida is a statewide enterprise, with UF/IFAS, UF Health and other research locations extending into every corner. Among the UF facilities most affected by Hurricane Ian are the Range Cattle Research and Education Center in Ona, located about an hour east of Sarasota, and the Florida Museum’s Randell Research Center on Pine Island.
Before and during Hurricane Ian, some UF/IFAS employees worked in their county’s emergency operations centers or shelters and are already collecting assessment of the damages post-storm. While employees and graduate students are fortunately safe after the storm, several UF/IFAS employees’ homes are damaged, and some are still unable to leave their homes due to flooding.
Several buildings had standing water when the crews were able to access the site on Friday. Other UF/IFAS properties also have some damage, with details to come as the UF/IFAS Facilities, Planning and Operations team hits the road again today to document and begin repairs.
The team is also taking supplies to those in need, especially graduate students who are unable to get provisions locally. Numerous graduate students live at UF/IFAS dormitories at the center sites, including at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee, which is closest to Fort Myers. If you would like to assist UF/IFAS in bringing supplies to students and facilities repair, you can donate funds to the UF/IFAS Senior VP Unrestricted Fund. To assist UF employees with funding for their personal needs, you can make a donation via Aid-a-Gator.
The UF Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service team is also heading to Fort Myers to set up a field hospital at Lee County Domestic Animal Services, where they will support the shelter, perform triage and provide medical care for animals brought in by search and rescue teams. Anyone who wishes to support the team can make a donation to the UF-VETS foundation account.
A few other ways you can help include making a donation or volunteering your time for any of the following: