Tulane University suffered substantial damage as a result of Hurricane Ida, forcing school officials to cancel classes and evacuate students to ensure their safety.
KHOU 11 reported that around 1,500 students filled 35 buses which brought them to Houston Tuesday. School officials explained that the move was to ensure that students arrive at hotels prepared by the university until they’re able to book flights and go home to their families. Food and lodging will be covered by the school.
⚠️ We are closing campus and cancelling classes through Sunday, September 12. Classes will resume online only beginning Monday, September 13 through Wednesday, October 6 to give the city time to repair and reinstate power and other critical services. pic.twitter.com/dm6tUaC2SP
— Tulane University (@Tulane) August 30, 2021
Tulane University President Michael Fitts admitted that the hurricane’s sudden change in direction took them by surprise and left them with little time to evacuate students who had recently arrived on campus. The students were very cooperative during the evacuation, making the process relatively easy for the school.
“They bonded, they worked this through, and now they’re boarding buses to go home. So they’ve been great. But the fact of the matter, even if you have power on campus, if power is out with all of New Orleans, you can’t stay here. There’s no food, there’s no supplies, it’s not a good situation,” Fitts said.
Tulane announced that classes will resume on September 13 through October 6 but will be held online as critical repairs are underway in New Orleans.
A Scary Experience
Ellie McGregor, a college sophomore, shared that the past few days had been hectic as they waited for the official announcement. She said that there had been a lot of confusion up until Tulane sent out the evacuation email on Monday.
But despite these challenges, Fitts commended the students for being able to power through the pandemic and natural disasters.
“They went through Covid, we brought all our students back last year, they taught classes on the ground, they retested half a million times, wearing masks. Then they come back this year, and then we have this. You know what, these are great students, great kids, they have resilience, they have character. They have handled this amazingly,” Fitts said.