Hurricane Sandy expected to last six hours
Mother Nature has unleashed her fury: Hurricane Sandy is upon us. Beginning at 4 p.m. and lasting for about six hours, the Hanover area is expected to get winds of approximately 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) for us, Hanover is not facing as serious threats from the storm as areas like New York — this explains why you had to finish your paper feverishlyand wake up for drill today. But due to the high wind advisory and the declared state of emergency in New Hampshire, it's important to acknowledge the potential dangers and prepare accordingly.
Cancellations
At approximately 3 p.m., Safety and Security sent a campus email indicating classes and College-sponsored activities have been cancelled for the rest of today. All Dartmouth Dining Service locations will close at 8 p.m, with the exception of the Class of 1953 Commons, which will remain open until 8:30 p.m.
As of now, College officials anticipate that normal operations will resume tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m.
In addition, today's Faculty Arts and Sciences meeting was canceled, and all Dartmouth libraries closed at 4 p.m.
Safety Tips
- The College is encouraging students to stay in their rooms or Residence Halls when the storm hits.
- Dick's House will be open all night should a student need to be seen.
- Refer to the Dartmouth homepage for up to date information.
- Make sure to keep windows closed through storm.
- If there is a power outage, it is recommended that you do notuse candles or open flames.
- Try to get in contact with family on the East Coast or affected areas now as there is a possibility of losing power.
Impact on visitors and families
As to the broader effects of the storm outside Dartmouth, parents visiting Hanover for Homecoming Weekend are facing flight cancellations.
For example, Woody Barfield from Chapel Hill, North Carolina flew up to support his daughter Jessica Barfield '16’s field hockey match on Saturday. He was planning on returning home on Tuesday, but his flights from Manchester to Baltimore and Baltimore to Raleigh have both been cancelled.
However, he said he is not anxious to get back.
“I’m staying at the Hanover Inn, and I can take my daughter shopping, enjoy the fall weather," Barfield said. "I might even stay until Saturday for the last field hockey game of the season.”
He added that another visiting family member needs to return to San Diego, but is unable to get in touch with the airlines because of the high volume in calls.
Students with families in states experiencing the brunt of Sandy are undergoing emergency preparations. Sarah McGowan ’16 has heard from her parents in New York City that Manhattan’s streets were submerged in two feet of water on Sunday.
“On normal days, [New York] is only three feet above water level, so there’s not much buffer room," McGowan said. "I told my parents that they should get the kayaks out and start kayaking from house to house.”
Power companies have preemptively shut off the power in the Manhattan area, and the MTA subway is down for the first time since 2003.
Even though last night we enviously read Facebook status updates on cancelled classes from friends in the Northeast and Mid-West, we may be facing similar situations tonight. Remember to stay indoors and contact Safety and Security at 603-646-4000 if any emergencies arise. In the spirit of Homecoming, let us brave the storm together!
For more information and current updates, monitor theDartmouth website.
-- Dartmouth Emergency Preparedness web page: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~prepare/communications/sandy102812.html
-- Radio: 99.3 FM, at 99 Rock, Dartmouth's student-run station.