With Hurricane Irene fast approaching and some light rain already falling in the Have, safety warnings and announcements are flooding (semi-intentional pun) in. Let’s break it down.

At 12:35 p.m. Vice President and University Secretary Linda Lorimer sent her update to students. The “tropical winds” are supposed to get here by 11 p.m. (Coincidentally, that’s just when Toad’s “Hurricane Saturday Night Dance Party!!!” is set to start. Hm.) “Hurricane force winds” that go at least 70 miles per hour will get to us by 7 a.m. tomorrow, and will last at least three hours. Shuttles will stop running at 9 p.m. tonight, and she recommends “canceling any evening activities that will take you away from your residence or other safe shelter.” Dining Halls will be closed tomorrow. Lorimer writes:

This is a dangerous storm. Students living off campus should particularly be prepared for power outages, flying debris and fallen trees. During the height of the storm, all students should stay away from windows and consider taking refuge in corridors or other windowless areas.

Please do not move around campus (if you live on campus) or return to campus (if you live off campus) until we give an “all clear” signal, which will likely be communicated through Yale Alert. We want to make sure that there are no downed power lines and that roads are clear in the immediate vicinity of the campus.

A half an hour later undergraduates got another email, this one from Dean of Student Affairs Marichal Gentry who advised us to “not discard your refuse and recyclables—keep them inside your room.” Adding, “We are concerned that any items that are placed outdoors will become a dangerous projectile.”

In Branford senior administrative assistant Alicia Heaney emailed asking students to volunteer to help move boxes in storage in the college’s squash courts to the basement level for fear of flooding.

And, if that wasn’t enough to get you nervous, today President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Connecticut.

Update: 2:36 p.m.

We got word from a Saybrugian that Master Paul Hudak let students know that at 6 p.m. the back of the dining hall will be stocked with food for the storm, including bottled water, fruit, granola bars, pudding, bread, chips and juice boxes.

Update: 2:48 p.m.

Calhoun’s dining hall manager is providing food for students to bring back to their rooms at 6:45 p.m. Also according to the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security the United States Geological Survey has issued a landslide alert in the state because of Irene. (h/t on that last item to @_rosiegray)

Update: 2:54 p.m.

Branfordians can also get food at their dining hall, Master Elizabeth Bradley said in an email.

Email your Irene stories and and tips at crosscampus@yaledailynews and buy some canned tuna already.