Hurricane Debby threatens HBCUs

Hurricane Debby has Savannah State in its sights, and other HBCUs could feel its impact.

Tropical Storm Debby became a hurricane on Sunday night after churning in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  On Saturday night it began dropping heavy rains in South Florida on the western shores.  It battered Naples and Fort Myers before continuing to crawl up the Florida coastline.

The massive entity is expected to cause some wind damage, but be especially dangerous because of the excessive amounts of rain it packs.  Whether winds reach and sustain hurricane speeds or not is not the biggest threat.  The significant precipitation draws the concern of meteorologists globally.

The NOAA National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center issued warnings over the weekend.  “Heavy rainfall will likely result in considerable flooding impacts from the Florida Big Bend region through the size of the storm. Hazardous conditions can occur outside of the southeast Georgia and the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas through Friday. Potentially historic heavy rainfall across southeast Georgia and South Carolina through Friday morning may result in areas of catastrophic flooding. Significant river flooding is also expected.”

Savannah State is in the bullseye for Debby rain damage

Out of all the HBCUs in the country, the one at most risk from damage from Debby is Savannah State University.  Debby is expected to release up to 30 inches of rainfall on Savannah.  This would send rivers flooding into all areas of the city.

One of the major reasons Debby is expected to cause so much rain damage is the slow speed over terrain. Because there are no fronts to push it along, it is meandering across its path.  It is expected to sit over Savannah for possibly more than 24 hours.  Raining at those levels continuously will quickly saturate the soil and overflow the rivers.

Known for its popular Riverfront district, this area will undoubtedly be affected even with marginal rain.  If the rain causes flooding above two feet, it could be catastrophic to the renowned tourist areas which brings money into the city with its reputation for fine dining and live music.

Savannah’s flat topography exaggerates the threat of flooding

The topography of Savannah in being that it is a relatively flat city, is a recipe for flooding in this situation.  The SIAC school has a total enrollment of just under 3,000 students.

Savannah State University Director of Athletics, Opio Marishiki, is monitoring the storm and making arrangements for its aftermath.  “Fortunately for us no student-athletes have arrived for the Fall semester.  We had a campus-wide emergency management meeting today and we will continue to be aware of what threats Debby could bring to campus.  The first priority is to preserve people, assets are secondary at this point.  The excessive rain and flooding is something we cannot control, but we will extend all efforts to make sure that none of our staffers are in harm’s way,” he said.

Other HBCUs could feel dampening effects of Hurricane Debby

While there are several tracking models, several of them have Tallahassee squarely in the cone of probability.  The Big Bend area of Florida is preparing for possibly its second consecutive year with a direct hit.

The Florida A&M Rattlers have Mondays off in their schedule.  Hurricane Debby is expected to make its way through the city, but no football activities will be taking place.  With FAMU sitting so high above sea level, on-campus flooding has never been an issue.

One of the greatest features of the Al Lawson Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium, commonly referred to as the Lawson Center on FAMU’s campus, is its versatility to be used as a shelter and mustering point during natural disasters.  Frequently during hurricanes, the Lawson Center has been ground zero for sheltering students and families. While the Lady Rattlers and Rattlers play games there, it is also a known safe haven for students during storms.

Edward Waters University delays student-athlete return to campus

Edward Waters University, another HBCU, could possibly feel the effects of Hurricane Debby.  Sitting just over an hour from Savannah, the rains could damage the flat plains of Jacksonville.  With EWU being just miles from the Atlantic Ocean, a churning storm washing water ashore could cause issues for the new fully-accredited NCAA Division-II school.

EWU President and CEO, Dr. A. Zachary Faison Jr., says the school is implementing their plan.

“We were actually expecting our student-athletes to arrive on today. We were able to get out ahead of this and sent some communications to them on Friday. They are now preparing to report on Tuesday.  We’ve suspended all campus activities for tomorrow.  All of our staff and faculty will be working remotely as we are preparing accordingly,” Faison said.

HBCU Gameday will report periodically through the storm and after its passing.

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