Emerson College will be closed on Monday as the effects of Category 1 Hurricane Sandy are forecasted to hit Boston early tomorrow morning.

“All faculty and non-essential staff should stay home,” wrote Andrew Tiedemann, vice president of communications and marketing, in an email to the Emerson community. “All off-campus students should stay home. On-campus students should stay indoors as much as possible.”

The dining hall will remain open, unless Boston suffers a power outage, according to the email.

According to The Boston Globe, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick urged colleges and universities in the state to close earlier today, stating that roads need to be kept clear for emergency personnel. A state of emergency was declared by the governor on Saturday, and President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration for Massachusetts today. These measures allow commonwealth and federal relief agencies to more easily disburse relief funds in response to the hurricane.

Other area schools, including Suffolk University, Boston University, Emmanuel College, Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts, Boston announced earlier this evening that they will be shutting down on Monday. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino also said that public schools will be closed tomorrow.

The National Hurricane Center predicted that the storm could bring winds of up to 75 miles per hour, with faster gusts. As of Sunday night, Boston had been issued a High Wind Warning and Coastal Flood Warning by the National Weather Service.

On Friday, Emerson administrators emailed students and faculty with information about the storm. The email encouraged students who live on and off campus to stay indoors and away from windows, fully charge electronic devices prior to the inclement weather, and unplug devices during the storm to prevent damage from an electrical surge. Students off-campus should have extra pillows and blankets, non perishable food, and stock up on water, the email said.