University of Mississippi Landscape Services is cleaning up a large tree that fell in the Grove during the storm that hit Oxford overnight and into the morning of April 10.
Crews have been working to clear the tree since 6:30 a.m., Landscape Supervisor Matt Foley said. He estimates that the cleanup would be complete around 1:30 p.m.
Foley encouraged students to stay out of the part of the Grove marked by yellow caution tape across from the Thad Cochran Research Center and to be cautious when walking in the Grove. Students were seen ignoring the caution tape, lifting it to continue walking along paths that had been taped off.
“When it’s wet like this, do not walk under the trees,” Foley said. “The ground is very saturated.”
According to Foley, this is not the first time they have had to clean up trees on campus, noting that two pines fell last year.
“I think it’s very sad because the Grove is so beautiful,” Anna Richie, an allied health studies major, said.
Mississippi and much of the Mid-South has received incessant rainfall over the past few days that is expected to continue into the early hours of Thursday, April 10.
“I think the rain is important, but it definitely does put a damper on my mood when it’s the entire week,” Richie said.