Subject: [UDEL-ALL-2128] Hurricane Sandy
Date: 2012_11_02_164248

To the University of Delaware community:

We have much to be thankful for this week at the University of Delaware
as we were spared the full force of Hurricane Sandy. Even as we breathe
a sigh of relief and return to our normal activities, we are mindful of
the many, many people in this region -- some of our students among them
-- who were not so lucky. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them as
they rebuild their communities.

The potential impact of Sandy was a major concern for UD, with its
thousands of people and 430+ buildings on 2,000 acres throughout the
state. Many members of our University community worked hard over the
last several days to help us weather this "Storm of the Century."

Preparation and practice paid off as our emergency response team, led
by the Office of Campus and Public Safety, began assessing the
situation late last week and taking steps to ensure the safety of our
people and facilities. When the storm came, the campus suffered only
minor damage: wind-driven water getting into buildings through roofs,
walls and foundations; very minimal power loss, with a couple of
residential properties without power for only a few hours, thanks to
quick repair from the City of Newark; and only three trees knocked down
and destroyed, along with a lot of leaves and branches to clean up. The
Georgetown research facilities were fortunate to sustain only minor
leaks and flooding. The hardest hit area was the Lewes campus, which
had flooding on its grounds but minimal damage to buildings.

Throughout this time, the University's greatest asset continued to be
its people -- staff members from a variety of units working as a team.
A command center brought together representatives from across UD so
that issues could be responded to immediately. Staffed around the
clock, the center included Housing, Public Safety, Residence Life,
Environmental Health and Safety, Facilities and Auxiliary Services,
Emergency Management, and Communications and Marketing.

The dedication of UD's employees and students was evident everywhere:
Dining Services staff, faced with reduced numbers and limited
deliveries, kept students fed, and supported employees who worked
during the crisis; Residence Life staff and resident assistants made
sure students who remained on campus had up-to-date information and
supplies; staff in Student Health Services kept Laurel Hall open to
respond to student health needs; Human Resources staff worked over the
weekend to ensure that payroll was processed ahead of time; UD Police
officers were on patrol and responding to issues as they arose; the UD
Emergency Care Unit was at the ready; staff in Environmental Health and
Safety aided in the safe shutdown of UD laboratories and monitored fire
safety issues; Facilities staff continue to clean up debris left in
Sandy's wake and repair damage to buildings; faculty are working with
students to make up lost class time.

Our UD Alert system served as an excellent tool for keeping students,
parents and employees informed about the storm's implications for UD,
and the University's homepage was the repository for the most current
information and lists of events and activities that were canceled or
rescheduled. Through the University's accounts on Facebook and Twitter,
staff answered questions and addressed concerns, and faculty and staff
across the campus fielded phone calls and emails.

In short, a stellar job all around.

On behalf of the students, families and employees who benefited from
these efforts, I thank everyone for their dedication and service to the
people of UD.

Sincerely,

Patrick T. Harker
President


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