Bates prepares for Hurricane Sandy

Here is a special announcement about Hurricane Sandy, followed by a message from Dean of Students Tedd Goundie to students, emailed earlier today.

As Hurricane Sandy heads into the Northeast, Bates College is actively monitoring the storm and taking precautionary measures as needed. You will find updates here, as appropriate.

Please note:

• The college is preparing for high winds and heavy rain overnight, but does not currently plan any general closure or class cancellations.
• Student services and the Commons will remain open, but the Commons cannot process credit cards if the college loses power. Milt and the Den are closed after 6 pm today.
• If a decision is made to implement a closing or late opening, the college will do so via the emergency notification system as well as notifying all news outlets in the area that offer closing information.

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Check out the current weather conditions in Lewiston.

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From Dean of Students Tedd Goundie 

Dear Students,

As you know, we expect to experience very strong winds tonight and tomorrow with accompanying heavy rain. Various offices of the college have been gearing up to manage the challenges posed by the hurricane. Specific advice from the Deans of Students is listed below in case the electricity fails. In addition to this advice, please know that our thoughts are with friends and families to the south who are bearing the brunt of the storm. We wish them well and urge students to bring to our attention any special situations that arise as a result of the storm.

1. Classes: Classes will take place as scheduled unless cancelled by the faculty member.
2. Fire safety: If electricity fails, after several hours the system that transmits information to the Central Fire Station may not fully function, but local alarms and detectors will continue to function. As a result, students should leave the building as usual and then call 911 if a fire alarm goes off, followed by calling Security at 786-6111. As always, candles should never be lit in a campus building.
3. Personal safety: At the risk of saying the obvious, people should stay inside at the height of the storm, stay clear of tall trees on the quad and elsewhere, and stay away from any downed wires.
4. Campus safety:  The electronic card access system has a backup battery system and should continue to function even if the power goes out.
5. Charging up:  You should charge fully your electronic devices today.  Similarly, if the electricity goes out for an extended period of time, the hot water will not be available in many dorms and houses, so use it while you can.
6. Electricity supply:  Buildings with back-up generator power include New Commons, the Village complex, 280 College Street, Pettengill, and Security. However, even these buildings will have a limited electricity supply. Elsewhere, the electricity outages, if they occur, will likely vary in different locations on and off-campus. Our hope is that those fortunate to have power will assist students without power, especially if the outage extends over several days.

Stay safe!

For all the Deans of Students,
Tedd Goundie