The state of Florida is bracing for the impacts of Helene, which is considered to be a major hurricane. 

Two academic institutions with ties to Erie are taking precautions: Gannon University and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). Helene is expected to make landfall this Thursday evening.

Gannon's second campus located in Ruskin could be expecting three to six inches of rain, including the possibility of nearby, life-threatening storm surge, along with 45-50 mph tropical storm force wind gusts.

"It was really being more familiar with what life is like down here versus in Erie," said Desiree Herter, director of Campus Operations. "Ice storms don't blow homes away. So for us, we really have to be on top of things."

Herter says the campus has been there for 10 years, and over that period of time, they have been able to learn lessons from past hurricanes and prepare accordingly. 

All classes for the 240 students have been switched to online, with the campus itself being shut down. Herter says they used to board up buildings with plywood, but renovations to the campus over the years have made the structures much more weather-resistant.

Regan Shabloski, who is the assistant dean for Plans, Operations, Training and Safety for LECOM, is also helping with preparations for the LECOM campus in Bradenton. Even though he's based out of Erie, Shabloski says the most important priority of all is making sure their students, patients and staff are all safe.

Shabloski mentioned they have been in contact local authorities in Bradenton to assess the situation and take the proper steps in order to prepare for the hurricane. 

LECOM is located in a higher elevated area, so flooding is not quite as big of a concern, but wildlife may play a role in this as well.

"It's not just looking at our student population and our staff on our campus," Shabloski said. "We also have to look at the potential interactions between that group of individuals and the wildlife that's also seeking that high point. [It's] not uncommon to see increased number of snakes running around campus [and] wildlife.