On the morning of Sunday, Sept. 6, Florida A&M University students found themselves without power, as an outage affected the main campus and surrounding areas. 

Students living both on and off campus felt the effects of the outage as it disrupted studying, work routines and access to basic necessities. Some students reported being without power for three to four hours as they waited for service to be restored. 

FAMU notified students via its emergency alert system at 9:37 a.m. that the City of Tallahassee Utilities had reported a power outage affecting the university’s main campus and the surrounding area.  

Kirstyn Young, a third-year cardiopulmonary science scholar and resident of FAMU’s Phase III residence hall, said the outage made it difficult for her to study for an upcoming exam because she could not access the internet on her usual devices. 

“I needed to study for the [cardiopulmonary science] program since I had an exam coming up,” Young said. “I couldn’t use my laptop or my iPad and I had to kind of resort to my phone.” 

The power outage affected areas beyond FAMU, causing confusion among some students who were initially unsure whether the problem was isolated to their homes or part of a larger outage. 

Anaija Cure, a graduate student studying health administration, said she initially thought the outage was an issue inside her home. 

“I thought it was just, maybe, like a short circuit or something,” Cure said. 

After contacting others, Cure learned that her neighbors were also without power. The outage also slowed her morning routine. causing her to arrive late to work. 

For students living on campus, the power outage affected more than just academics. 

Jordan Shoats, a junior psychology major who lives on campus, said several parts of her daily routine were interrupted due to the outage. 

“My whole computer went off, like, everything just went off,” Shoats said. 

One of the most frustrating effects came later when Shoats tried to get water from the water fountain she normally used and realized it relied on electricity. 

“It’s so simple, but it’s such a basic necessity, like, [I was] not able to get water,” Shoats said. “I’m thirsty. I need water. I don’t got no water in my room.” 

Shoats added that her refrigerator lost power, leaving her concerned about her groceries. She also worried about completing an assignment due later that day. 

FAMU later announced on social media that power had been restored to the main campus and that brunch replacement meals and bottled water would be available to campus residents at the Top Cafe and the Hub dining halls . 

FAMU Police continued patrolling residence halls as the university monitored conditions and assessed the outage’s impact on campus operations.