College and universities in Hampton Roads are evacuating their campuses to prepare for Hurricane Irene.
Old Dominion University in Norfolk closed its residence halls Thursday evening. Norfolk State University advised students who live on campus to leave at the close of classes Thursday if they were able to do so.
Christopher Newport University in Newport News and the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg will close their residence halls at noon today.
Hampton University is allowing freshmen to move in today but will close campus offices at 5 p.m. All activities planned for Saturday and Sunday have been canceled, said Yuri Rodgers Milligan, director of university relations. Residence-hall check-in will continue Monday and Tuesday if conditions permit, she said.
All of the schools canceled any classes scheduled for today through Monday.
At William and Mary shortly before 6 p.m., Hannah Miller, a junior from Richmond, was leaving Dawson Hall with some luggage and her two roommates, one from Connecticut and the other from Pennsylvania. The three were heading to Miller's parents' home.
Miller said she got the evacuation text message in an afternoon class. "I knew (the hurricane) was coming, but I didn't know we would have to evacuate."
Kate Skachdopole, a sophomore from Dallas, also was heading to Richmond. She said it was difficult to call home initially because everyone was trying to use cellphones at once, but she eventually reached her parents.
"I have three classes tomorrow and then three on Monday. I'm missing a lot," Skachdopole said.
Danny Yates, a junior from Richmond, planned to head toward the coast with his parents to board up their vacation house at Sandbridge before returning to Richmond on Thursday night. One professor advised students to download their required readings from the Internet because the evacuation was not an excuse to skip the work, Yates said.
At Christopher Newport, Harrison Crews, a senior from Henrico, said students weren't upset for the most part about going home after only a few days on campus, but they didn't like having makeup days scheduled for fall break.
Crews planned to leave Thursday night to beat the traffic on Interstate 64.
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