Manicia Reneus
North Bureau Chief
On a Sunday morning, Hurricane Irma hit the Florida Keys making its way inland. The hurricane flew through the state with 130 mph winds that caused damages to buildings, left tree debris on the ground and many without power.
After almost two weeks of being closed, BC opened its campuses on Sept 18. Before the campus reopened, staff worked on getting repairs done for Monday. There was some damage that occurred. However, BC is determined not to let a hurricane interfere with the semester. On North Campus, there was a power outage that toke place in building 46. Additionally, Central Campus had a downed power line at the College Avenue entrance. Both Central and South Campus had issues with water.
In building 17, the Central Campus library underwent water intrusion while South Campus had water damage in building 99, which is the Aviation Institute. As of last week, the city of Pembroke Pines lifted its boil water advisory, making the water safe to drink on South Campus. There was no major destruction to the buildings besides trees and tree branches that was scattered everywhere throughout the different campuses. The clean-up crew worked diligently removing debris in order to get the campus back to its original state.
Also, the IT team rebooted the system and tested the digital services. The remaining staff inspected work stations and classrooms. As a way to celebrate students and staff return, BC hosted a welcome back event with free hurricane hugs. Food and drinks were provided. In addition, there was information on Broward County resources that are available to help people who need services and supplies after Irma.
One of the resources that is provided is disaster loans. The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides these loans to business owners, non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters to help repair or replace damages. Besides SBA, Rebuilding Together Broward is working in different communities to help with repairs, clean up, or tree removals.
Another resource that can be uses is the Center for Independent Living of Broward. They are assisting individuals with disabilities. The organization is helping by taking down hurricane shutters, obtaining wheelchairs, and accessing generators for power restoration. Although classes have resumed, there have been adjustments made to help accommodate students. Printing has been reduced by 50 percent for students who pay for printing using their credit or debit card. Testing hours have been extended as well.
For anyone who needs assistance with hurricane recovery, contact 211 for the Disaster Relief Service Guide. Students can go to broward.edu/news to stay updated with hurricane advisories.