HURRICANE SANDY UPDATE — MONDAY, 11 A.M.
All classes are cancelled for today and tomorrow. All offices are closed. Only essential and emergency personnel are expected to report for work.
We will be proceeding with the evacuation of all residence halls to the Spiro Sports Center, as previously scheduled, at 1 p.m. About 100 students will be involved in the move; we will have a better handle on the exact number once we are settled in the gym. All other students have left campus and are at home or the home of a friend.
The college command center will be in the SSC, led on site by President Richard Guarasci and his wife Carin, who will stay on site throughout the evacuation. Other senior staff members will also be on site for the duration, in addition to Residential Education, Housekeeping, Campus Operations and Public Safety staff.
Campus Operations staff members are currently removing air conditioners from windows throughout campus, and storm drains are being kept clear of leaves to minimize flooding potential.
An infirmary is being set up, which will be staffed by our Health and Wellness Center nurses. Emergency calls from parents to the infirmary can be made to 718-619-1814 starting at about 2 p.m. Please use this only for emergencies.
Students:
- Power up your portable devices now — outlets will be in high demand once we move into the Spiro Sports Center.
- Remember to pack blankets, pillows, toothbrush etc., and any medications you require.
- Please move everything away from the windows and off the floors before you leave.
- Make sure windows are closed, and doors are closed behind you.
Here are the accommodations we have made at the Spiro Sports Center:
- Residential Education staff will have students shuttled between the residence halls and the SSC in college vans when it’s time to move.
- Campus Life has lots of board games ready to move into the SSC.
- The SSC Fitness Center will stay open for use until wind gusts from the hurricane start to peak this evening (there are lots of windows in the Fitness Center).
- The SSC has a backup generator that will provide lights throughout the building and power to many outlets (though not all) should outside power fail.
- Dining Services have moved more than enough food, water and supplies to care for the population in the gym for the duration of the storm.
- Students will be sleeping on the floor in the gym, as they did during last year’s Hurricane Irene evacuation. So will the staff members staying on site.
- A large-screen television will be set up in the gym for students.
We will issue updates throughout the storm via email, on our website (wagner.edu) and our Facebook page (facebook.com/wagnercollege). Note that, if we lose power to our computer center on campus, our email and the website will go down — but we will continue to post updates on our Facebook page. Please “favorite” the Facebook page now to make it easier to find later.
“Last year, when we evacuated to the gym in the face of Hurricane Irene, our students made us very proud with the tremendous spirit of cooperation they showed one another and the college staff,” said President Guarasci at the end of this morning’s emergency team meeting. “I am sure that they will show the same extraordinary spirit during this emergency.”
Our next update will be issued after we have settled the students into the Spiro Sports Center.