In the early-morning hours of Saturday, Jan. 24, Winter Storm Fern brought freezing rain and sleet to Oxford, closing campus from Saturday, Jan. 24 until Sunday, Feb. 8. The storm’s precipitation caused trees to collapse and surfaces to ice over, leading to power outages, dangerous road conditions and water shortages.
Nearly three weeks removed from the storm, the impact is still felt on campus, in Oxford and beyond. Downed trees, cleanup crews and building maintenance serve as a reminder of the destruction left in Fern’s wake.
Despite the disaster, the Oxford community has banded together in the past weeks. Prime evidence of this comes courtesy of the Rebel Relief Disaster Fund, established following Fern. The fund aims to help students who faced unexpected travel costs or difficulties in covering food or living expenses.
“Students enrolled at least half-time can apply, and applications are reviewed through the UMatter team and the Office of Financial Aid to confirm eligibility and need,” Batte said to The Daily Mississippian. “As of today, more than $500,000 has been raised, and more than $215,000 has been distributed to more than 800 students. Staff are working as quickly as possible to review pending applications.”
While Fern may have damaged buildings and trees, Oxford’s spirit remains unbroken.
Loss of life
At least 153 people are reported to have died in North America as a result of Fern, with at least 25 people in Mississippi alone, per Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) reporting from Feb. 2. Two of the 25 deaths occurred in Lafayette County, according to MEMA.
Mississippi and Tennessee had the highest number of casualties among states hit by Fern with 25 each.
Debris clean-up
Debris removal efforts, including the disposal of downed trees, remain underway at the university. On Monday, Feb. 9, the Institutions for Higher Learning Board of Trustees approved up to $10 million to go toward UM cleanup efforts and debris removal.
The expectation is the university will pay cleanup costs upfront and will seek reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and MEMA, as well as university insurance.
“It’s still too early to provide a total cost estimate,” UM Director of News and Media Relations Jacob Batte said in a statement to The Daily Mississippian. “The university is covering immediate response and restoration costs. At the same time, we’re documenting storm-related expenses and pursuing any reimbursement that may be available.”
Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill estimated during a Board of Aldermen meeting last week the total cost of debris removal in the city to be more than $16 million.
Building closures
Buildings across the university campus experienced storm damage, causing some temporary closures.
The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College experienced a water leak, causing flooding in the main hall of the building. The building was temporarily closed, and inside access was restricted as a result. It reopened with the university on Monday, Feb. 9.
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, the honors college announced it would close its basement study area, known as “the dungeon,” until further notice.
“As a result of storm damage from Winter Storm Fern, there are ongoing issues with electrical power, persistent odor concerns and issues with furniture,” Honors College Dean Ethel Scurlock said in an email to the honors community. “Several tables have swollen due to moisture exposure, and some furniture pieces have physically broken apart. Out of an abundance of caution, we cannot allow students to use the space until these conditions are properly addressed and the area is safe.”
The V.B. Harrison Building, which houses University Health Services (UHS), also experienced flooding. Student Health Services has temporarily moved to its South Oxford Center location on South Lamar Boulevard until repairs are made to its on-campus building.
“We anticipate Student Health Services will remain at the South Oxford Center for several weeks and will provide updates as plans are finalized for a return to normal operations on campus,” Director of UHS Alex Langhart said in a Feb. 5 email statement.
Employee Health Services and Pharmacy Health Services locations remain unchanged.
While the Turner Center avoided flooding and the gym reopened, the center’s natatorium will be closed for repairs until further notice due to water pump issues.
Canceled events
Numerous events scheduled during the university closure were canceled or postponed.
University of Mississippi College Democrats canceled its watch party of NBC’s “Dateline” special covering the Jay Lee trial and the greater Justice for Jay Lee movement. The special aired on Jan. 30.
The honors college rescheduled its Honors College Formal for April 18, previously scheduled for Feb. 7. The Honors Research Symposium and Spring Convocation, previously scheduled for Feb. 10, has been rescheduled to March 4.
The Gertrude C. Ford Center for Performing Arts announced it canceled the Jan. 29 showing of the musical The Choir of Man and plans to refund all ticket holders.
Return to learning
In an email announcement on Thursday, Feb. 5, Chancellor Glenn Boyce announced that students would return to school on Monday, Feb. 9. He also said the university would shorten its semester by two weeks and keep spring break on the calendar.
“We have worked with the U.S. Department of Education to adjust our academic calendar, allowing us to shorten our semester and maintain spring break during the week of March 7,” Boyce said in his statement.
While the announcement is welcomed by students with spring break plans and graduating seniors, it has also left professors to restructure syllabi to accommodate two weeks of missed instruction.
Student workers
The university also announced that it would pay its student employees for time missed during the break.
“The university recognizes the financial impact that Winter Storm Fern and the resulting campus closure may have had on our student employees,” a Feb. 5 email announcement from Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Steven G. Holley and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead said. “To support our student non-exempt (hourly) employees during this disruption, the university will pay student wages for scheduled work hours missed while campus operations were suspended due to the storm for the pay period, Jan. 25–Feb. 8.”
Students were instructed to input scheduled hours during the two-week absence into Workday, the university’s new human resources platform, before Feb. 9, in time for the Feb. 13 payroll deadline.
