Major Hurricane Irma delays have already reached as far north as Savannah

Are your friends in the Lowcountry making fun of you for already booking a hotel in case of evacuation?

Don’t listen to them.

Hurricane Irma, what is purported to be the second strongest storm ever recorded in the Caribbean, is a serious threat to the East Coast. And, while its path is still uncertain, the mammoth storm has already caused at least one major delay in Savannah, which, as you know, is pretty darn close to Beaufort County.

Savannah College of Art and Design announced Tuesday afternoon that it is postponing its first week of classes until Sept. 18.

“Students and families should NOT plan to travel to the Savannah or Atlanta campuses at this time. New students will not be allowed to move in to residence halls before Thursday, Sept. 14. Returning students will not be allowed to move in before Saturday, Sept. 16,” a release states.

SCAD’s campus will stay open to staff until further notice.

Meanwhile, the University of South Carolina Beaufort is in a wait-and-see mode. The Bluffton and Beaufort campuses are fully operational at this time. For updates on any changes to this, though, bookmark this page right here.

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Major Hurricane Irma delays have already reached as far north as Savannah."