In the late evening of Sept. 11, thick rain pattered against my dorm room window. My suitemates and I sat huddled on the couch, listening to the low whistles of hurricane wind outside. We tried to distract ourselves from the ongoing storm with many snacks and television. Occasionally, the lights flickered, and the glass windows bent against the harsh winds.  

Hurricane Francine was a Category 2 hurricane that came close to New Orleans and Tulane University. Tulane endured the tropical storm effects on the hurricane’s direct edge. As a result, campus was exposed to heavy thunderstorms with periodic lightning. According to an article published on WDSU news, Hurricane Francine left 400,000 Louisianians without power after it hit on Wednesday night. Thursday, Tulane’s off-campus community was severely affected, with some individuals having no power for several days.   

Luckily, dormitories on Tulane’s campus are supplied with electric generators that prevent severe power outages during hurricane season. Many off-campus residences are not provided with this luxury and must endure any potential power outage. Tulane is not technically responsible for off-campus housing, but it would have been helpful to provide resources and amenities to the students undergoing the outage. 

I have spoken with off-campus students who had to book hotels to receive adequate power or stay with individuals who had resources. Tulane did provide resources like food and water for all students, but a specific supply should have been prepared beforehand and set aside for off-campus students. This supply could have included emergency kits that contained flashlights, batteries, candles, nonperishable food, first-aid kits and bottled water. Additionally, portable chargers and backup generators for students to bring home would have been helpful. That might be expensive, but so is $88,000 per year in tuition.  

The Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response advised both on-campus and off-campus students to stay indoors. There were also areas across campus where students could obtain certain resources like food and water, but these places may not have been accessible for off-campus students in times of dangerous weather.  

Tulane did a good job of accommodating students in several ways. For example, all in-person classes were canceled due to safety reasons. Additionally, the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life provided every student with a bag full of small meals and snacks. Bottled water was provided across campus and at residence hall desks.  

The day before the hurricane hit Tulane’s campus, I made my way to Rouses Market on Freret Street to stock up on meals and snacks. At this time, the severity of the hurricane and its duration was unprecedented. Since I was able to stock up on food items, I was provided with alternatives to what Tulane provided. The food bags available to students in the LBC only contained snack-like items like chip bags and fruit cups. Students were also given one sandwich-like item and a loaf of bread.  

Tulane should have had a few substantial, prepared meals available to students. These meals could have been nonperishable or freezable for students with power on campus. Bags of chips and cookies are not nutritious or substantial enough to suffice if the hurricane lasted longer. Some students may not have had access to grocery stores or restaurants to obtain meals, especially after they closed. If the effects of the hurricane continued past Wednesday, their access to nutritious food would not have been feasible.   

Tulane did provide email messages to the campus community during the storm. These emails were detailed with brief updates about the hurricane’s track and the accessibility of campus amenities during the storm. Tulane did a good job of consistently updating students about the storm and how it was affecting New Orleans but did not provide a clear plan or recommendation regarding evacuation. A large portion of students decided to evacuate campus before the storm began, and it was unclear if this was necessary.  

 Tulane did a sufficient job monitoring the storm and providing necessities to students. More attention could have been centered on the storm’s effects on off-campus students, providing substantial food options and detailing clear recommendations for student evacuation.