Franklin & Marshall College

Franklin & Marshall College sustained minimal adverse effects from Hurricane Sandy and will resume all normal operations Wednesday, Oct. 31. The College is assessing the security of its facilities and infrastructure, and College officials will provide information later today about a limited number of facilities that may re- open.

All classes and scheduled activities were cancelled and all administrative buildings were closed Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 29-30, in an effort to ensure the safety and security of individuals on campus. Administrative offices will remain closed today and will open tomorrow. Classes are not in session, though students continue to be encouraged to regularly check email and other modes of communication for notices from their instructors about preparation for the resumption of classes beginning Wednesday.

According to the National Weather Service, the weather conditions in Lancaster County have been downgraded to a wind advisory that is in effect until noon today. Post-tropical Cyclone Sandy was moving westward across southern Pennsylvania as of 5 a.m. Oct. 30. Flood watches continue to be in effect throughout the region.

In the wake of the storm, the College's main dining hall will remain open to provide meal service for all students with an F&M ID through 8 p.m. Tuesday, regardless of whether students have a meal contract. All other dining facilities remain closed.

The campus is largely passable, and facilities staff members continue to clear branches and tree limbs from pathways. F&M did not lose power during the storm.

While Appel Health Services is not open for regular hours, students have been directed to reach on-call medical staff by calling the Department of Public Safety at 717-291-3939. Members of the staff of the Dean of the College were assigned to the College Houses throughout the storm to be a ready resource for students, and dining services staff remained on hand to provide meal service.

The F&M home page, www.fandm.edu, continues to be the primary source for general information in the aftermath of the storm, and campus opening and closing information also will be available on the College's Emergency Weather Line at 717-291-4003. The College will continue to provide basic information via F&M's Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Campus community members also can receive text messages from the F&M Emergency Alert system. To sign up, visit http://www.fandm.edu/emergencyalert.

Members of campus should be advised of the following current campus closures:

• All dining facilities with the exception of D-Hall remain closed.
• All classes and labs have been cancelled. All campus libraries remain closed.
• All administrative buildings are closed, including athletics facilities.
• All events, including athletic team practices, have been cancelled.

Critical and essential employees will receive guidance from their supervisors about reporting to work. For the purposes of this storm, Human Resources has designated essential personnel as supporting the following areas: Facilities and Operations and Public Safety.

In the event of a power failure

While the campus has not lost power up to this point, roving outages have been reported in the area in the wake of the storm. All core campus residential buildings have auxiliary power, but other residential buildings do not. In the event of a loss of power, students should follow this guidance:

• Use caution within your residence and on the stairs, as lighting will be minimal.
• Do not open your refrigerator or freezer; this will keep items cold and frozen.
• Do not use candles or any other open flame as a light or heat source. Carefully unplug carbon monoxide detectors in your residence and remove the battery if they start beeping (remove the panel located on the back of the unit to access the battery).
• If power fails and then is restored, please allow about two hours for the hot water, cooling and any elevators to be operational. These systems take some time to restart.
• FOBs will not work in the event of a power outage for buildings without auxiliary power. In the event this occurs, the College will assess the need to arrange for staff to be stationed around campus for assistance. Locations will be specified in updates to emergency announcements posted on the home page.

F&M maintains an Emergency Preparation Guidelines website at www.fandm.edu/ prepare. The College's Office of Human Resources also maintains a weather emergencies page for employees. More information about Hurricane Sandy is available on the National Hurricane Center website.