Hurricane Dorian delays start of fall quarter
Written by Jordan Petteys, Image courtesy of The Weather Channel
As the weather forecast predicts Hurricane Dorian to make landfall in Georgia this week, SCAD Savannah has postponed move-in and orientation to at least Monday, Sept. 9 and delayed classes until Wednesday, Sept. 11. Meanwhile, Governor Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency in Chatham County, as well as 11 others.
For orientation assistant and second year student Enrico Drago, the hurricane’s potential landfall required him to temporarily relocate last week. “I was in Savannah for less than 24 hours before they kicked us out and [I] had to spend $62 on a train ticket home. It’s like the school had no idea there was a massive hurricane on the coast and the second they learned about it, instead of waiting, they just reacted,” Drago said.
Hurricanes have impeded fall orientation and classes for the past three years. Notably, Hurricane Irma delayed classes for one week in 2017, while Hurricane Michael resulted in class cancelations mid quarter 2018.
Currently, Hurricane Dorian is predicted to impact Georgia on Thursday, Sept. 5. According to The Weather Channel, “the exact track is very uncertain, ranging from a track far enough offshore to keep hurricane force winds away from land, to a landfall anywhere in this zone. Storm surge flooding, damaging winds and flooding rain are all possible in these areas.”
Dani Wilusz, an incoming first year student from Michigan, said she struggled with the anticipation of Hurricane Dorian. “It’s weird having to actually worry about that since [hurricanes] have never been an issue [for me before]. I’m not thrilled about having makeup classes but I understand that’s what they have to do. I know that if it gets bad we have a way of leaving,” Wilusz said.
Today, Hurricane Dorian is hammering the Bahamas as a Category 5 with winds sustaining 185 mph, and continues to move slowly toward the Southeast coast. “I appreciate [SCAD] putting our safety first, I just wish it was handled a little smoother and more conveniently,” Drago said.
As Savannah prepares for potential impact, the Red Cross has listed tips for staying safe here.
