Eckles Library and the Lloyd Gym will give refuge to students on the Mount Vernon Campus in the event that the brewing storm wrecks residence halls.

Buildings will function as shelters if a residence hall becomes structurally unsound after hurricane Irene hits, Senior Associate Vice President for Safety and Security Darrell Darnell said. The Marvin Center will serve as a shelter zone on the Foggy Bottom Campus.

Generators on the Vern will power up emergency systems in residence halls, such as fire alarms, Senior Associate Vice President for Operations Alicia O’Neil Knight said, but not air conditioning. Pepco – the company that provides power to both the University’s campuses – forewarned Friday that the Vern will likely experience power outages, especially with heavy winds that might blow trees into power lines.

“We do take proactive efforts to ensure the health of trees on the campus to limit the risk of fallen trees, but this can and does happen,” Knight said, adding that if a tree does fall onto a power line, Pepco will bear responsibility for its removal.

Facilities staff will be on site and on call throughout the weekend, Knight said.