“If you need food, get it now and return to your room.” UVM students were advised to remain indoors last Sunday as tropical storm conditions led to falling trees and power outages in Burlington, the Broadcast Center stated. UVM closed classes Monday in anticipation of the storms damage and power outages, according to University Communications. “If you go out, exercise extreme caution and stay as close as possible to your room or apartment,” the message stated. The CatAlert system was activated at 7:12 p.m. as high winds came through UVM. “If you need food, get it now and return to your room,” the alert stated. “Seek shelter until further notice.” A later message warned students of downed power lines and advised them to stay inside for the night. The CatAlert system is designed to notify students of immediate threats to their health or safety, according to CatAlert’s website. The system is capable of sending email, text, and/or voice notifications. Some students said that they felt the alerts were a little much. “I understand where the University was coming from,” junior Will Durst said. “But the alerts were excessive and dramatic.”