Elizabethtown College closed Monday, Oct. 29 and Tuesday, Oct. 30 due to the severe weather brought on by Hurricane Sandy.
The Emergency Management Group (EMG) was responsible for the decision to close campus. The EMG first met on Saturday, Oct. 27 to begin discussing the possibility of the College’s closing and again during the two days that followed. The decision was finalized after reviewing weather models and gaining President Carl Strikwerda’s approval.
“With a weather event such as the most recent one, many decisions are made based on the information that was accessible to us. In the case of Hurricane Sandy, all the information we were receiving indicated that the magnitude of the storm would be unprecedented,” Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Elizabeth Braungard said.
The safety of the students, faculty and staff were the main concern of the EMG in addition to the weather forecast. “Fortunately, the storm did not affect the College as significantly as we anticipated. We were prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. The outcome was better than we could have hoped for,” Braungard stated.
The College utilized the various methods available to communicate with those affiliated with Etown quickly and effectively. Information about the College’s state was communicated via the EC Alert system, in Headline News emails, on Etown’s official website and on various social media websites.
“An event like this reminds all students, faculty and staff how critical it is to have your contact information updated and in the EC Alert system. We received about 10 emails from students who weren’t receiving messages. Our information technology team addressed those students’ issues immediately,” Braungard said.
The increased communication also led to a growth in traffic on the College’s website and social media pages. There was a 40 percent increase in visits to Etown’s official website with a total of 1,379 new viewers. There were also 746 views of the College’s Facebook page to uncover news about Hurricane Sandy and the College’s closing.
