With Storm Passed, College Open Monday
August 26, 2011
Update - Sunday, August 28 at 7:45 pm
Campus weather line: 413-538-2330
With Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene having now passed beyond South Hadley, normal college operations will be resumed. The campus suffered minimal damage.
Students who have been sheltering in temporary housing may now return to their permanent residence hall. All students are asked to be out of temporary housing no later than 7:30 am Monday. A hot breakfast will be served in Ham-MacGregor at 7:15 am.
College offices will be open as usual Monday. Faculty and staff should use their own judgment and maintain their personal safety if traveling to campus from areas that have been hard-hit by the storm.
International students who were scheduled to arrive at Bradley International Airport on Monday should notify the College if your flight has been rescheduled. Please contact Fatoumata Gadjigo by email (fgadjigo@mtholyoke.edu) or phone (413-538-2072) to inform her of your new flight plan and arrival time so that alternate arrangements can be made for your transportation to Mount Holyoke.
The Chapin Road entrance to campus (between Mary Woolley and Rockefeller Halls) will be closed between Route 116 and Woolley Circle until fallen tree limbs can be removed.
Any further updates related to Hurricane Irene will be posted here. Students should continue to monitor their MHC email for any updates and schedule changes.
Update - Sunday, August 28 at 3:30 pm
As of 3 pm, winds are increasing on campus, and the National Weather Service is predicting the area will remain under tropical storm conditions. Rain is expected to continue and may be heavy at times until 11 pm, and winds of 40 to 50 mph--with gusts up to 55 mph--are likely.
Students will continue to be housed in temporary quarters at least until conditions can be reassessed later this evening. Stocks of nonperishable foods will be replenished in residence halls for dinner. A full, hot breakfast will be served in the Ham-MacGregor dining hall at 7:15 tomorrow (Monday) morning.
The campus has suffered relatively little damage thus far, although the high winds continue to be a threat. A section of Chapin Road between Mary Woolley Hall and the Rockies, from Route 116 to Woolley Circle, is closed until further notice due to damage to an adjacent tree.
Continue to monitor this site for additional storm information. The next update will be posted around 8 pm. Students should continue to monitor their Mount Holyoke email for updates and schedule changes.
Update - Saturday, August 27 at 4:30 pm
In anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Irene overnight, Mount Holyoke has doubled its Public Safety staffing and made contingency plans to consolidate housing close to the center of campus for students who have already arrived.
NOTE: The College is not opening early to bring students to campus ahead of this storm. Students who were planning to travel to campus this weekend should remain at home until the hurricane has passed through the area. College officials will then assess any damage to campus and notify students if there are any further schedule changes.
Students now on campus will move between 7 and 8 pm this evening to temporary housing in the following residence halls: North and South Rockefeller, Mead, Wilder, Abbey, and Buckland. Dinner will be served at the usual time (5 to 7 pm) in Ham-MacGregor. Dining Services staff will provide nonperishable food items in the residence halls for Sunday morning breakfast and lunch. Students will not return to their regular housing assignments until at least Monday, depending on the amount of damage resulting from the storm.
Any student who has already checked in must inform Residential Life if you choose to stay in off-campus housing tonight and/or tomorrow. If you invite another Mount Holyoke student to stay with you in a residence hall during the storm, and that student has not already checked in, she should inform Residential Life of her presence on campus.
Any student arriving on campus after 8 pm Saturday evening should call Public Safety (413-538-2304) to determine where to report for housing.
International students traveling to Bradley International Airport on Monday: If you have made arrangements with the College to be transported from the airport to campus, and your flight is delayed or cancelled, notify Fatoumata Gadjigo by email (fgadjigo@mtholyoke.edu) or phone (413-538-2072) of your rescheduled flight plan and arrival time so alternate arrangements can be made. If College offices are closed on Monday, email Dean of International Students Donna Van Handle at dvanhand@mtholyoke.edu to inform her of your travel time and transportation needs.
Student athletes: All practices scheduled for Sunday have been cancelled; practices will resume Monday. Coaches will meet with team members at 8 pm this evening in the residence halls. If you will be delayed in coming to campus, notify your coach directly via email. Students unable to reach campus in time for team try-outs will be rescheduled.
All students should continue to monitor their Mount Holyoke email for updates and schedule changes.
Faculty and staff: Check Mount Holyoke’s announcement/weather line (413-538-2330) before reporting to campus Monday. If the College must be closed for the day due to damage or a loss of power, there will be a message recorded with that information by 5 am Monday. The same information will be posted on the MHC website, as well as here. (Note: Mount Holyoke does not post weather-related closings on local TV or radio stations.)
Further updates will be posted as they become available.
UPDATE - Friday, August 26 at 2 pm
As Hurricane Irene bears down on New England, Mount Holyoke officials are monitoring its progress and working to minimize storm damage and flooding to keep the College community safe. The campus Emergency Response Team has developed contingency plans to deal with potentially high winds and heavy rain from the hurricane when it reaches the Pioneer Valley Sunday. Plans will be refined and implemented as the storm track becomes better defined throughout the weekend.
The Facilities Management staff is checking roof drains, sump pumps, and other drainage structures to minimize the potential for water infiltration and flooding. Staff and faculty leaving campus at the close of business Friday are asked to shut and secure all windows, shut off all electronic equipment, and remove all electronic equipment and other items from the floor, regardless of your location. (Roof damage and/or flooding could cause water damage.) If there is significant damage in the South Hadley area, employees should call the emergency delay/closing line at 538-2330 Monday morning to check the status of the campus.
Students returning to campus in upcoming days should check their MHC email, the Gateways, and this page for up-to-date communications from the College. If you are a leader scheduled to arrive this weekend, monitor traffic and weather patterns; if you have a travel concern, put safety first and plan your arrival for AFTER the storm. Check in with regional airlines to make certain your flights are not delayed or cancelled.
Students who are currently on campus should take these additional steps to support the College in our planning:
* Keep cell phones, laptops, and other methods of outside communications charged.
* Develop a plan of communication with family, friends, and concerned others in case there is a loss of power.
* If you have a flashlight, check the batteries.
* Make sure you have ample quantities of medication on hand. Should any of these need refrigeration, have a cold pack on hand to keep items cool if power is out.
* Inform a friend on campus or a college official if you plan to leave the campus over the weekend.
If necessary, students may be consolidated into residence halls on the center of campus. If you live in a house or residence hall that is not on the Green, prepare an overnight bag that contains important items such as medications, bed linens, cell phone and/or laptop chargers, and other essentials.
The College will send out notices via email should there be any changes in the Orientation Program and returning student arrival times.
"We want to emphasize that safety is our priority," Dean of Students Rene Davis told students in an email message.
Students, faculty, and staff should provide the College with up-to-date contact and emergency contact information, if they have not already done so. This includes personal cell phone numbers and emergency contact names and contact numbers. Students should review or update this information on ISIS; employees can update their records by contacting the Office of Human Resources.
Check back to this page for regular updates about weather-related conditions.
Permanent link to this story: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/news/stories/5683026
