A NEW NORMAL

FSU PC CONTINUES TO REBUILD AND STRENGTHEN AFTER HURRICANE MICHAEL

by: Jennifer McCabe, ’14

When Tropical Disturbance 47 began swirling Sunday, Oct. 5, 2018, no one could have imagined what was in store for Bay County. Just five days later, Hurricane Michael had intensified to a Category 5 hurricane as it made landfall Wednesday, Oct. 10, between Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base.

“I woke up on Oct. 10, 2018, thankful for the opportunity to sleep in,” social work student Sierra Vertrees said. “That night, I went to sleep thankful to be alive.”

After the storm, every building on campus was affected. Compromised roofs, broken windows, downed trees, and the lack of electricity and internet were obvious problems, but administrators were dedicated to reopening FSU Panama City as soon as possible.

Our entire region was recovering, and our students needed something to bring back a sense of normalcy to the community,” Dean Randy Hanna said. “We had to rebuild, reorganize and rethink the way we do business to be that bit of hope for our students and ensure their success.”

“A lot of what we did was the first time it had ever been done at FSU,” said David Henry, director of enrollment and student success. Yet during the 24-day closure, “there was never a moment when someone said, ‘no, we can’t do that.’ Everything was on the table. Everything was an option.”

On. Oct. 29, FSU Panama City was the first educational facility to reopen in Bay County post-Hurricane Michael.

PREPARING FOR THE STORM: Three days before the storm made landfall, administrators and staff reached out to students and their parents to ensure they had a hurricane plan.

BEFORE THE STORM

Hanna is known for his commitment to students. Just three days before the storm made landfall, he was particularly concerned about the 50 first-time-in-college (FTIC) students as well as international students who were scattered across the area. Administrators and staff reached out to students and their parents to ensure they had a hurricane plan. Efforts continued Monday when administrators went room to room visiting FTIC-level classes.

“Many of our FTIC students were brand new to Panama City and didn’t have family nearby like other students,” said Amy Polick, associate dean for academic affairs. “The storm, and everyone’s safety plan, was the topic of all of our conversations.”

The campus’s Crisis Response Team met Monday to discuss campus preparedness and communication plans. When Florida State announced campuses in Tallahassee and Panama City would close at 5 p.m. through the week, staff began working frantically to unplug electronics and move university assets such as boats and vehicles to facilities in northern Bay County. Before Michael made landfall, FSU Panama City staff had roofing, water remediation and tree removal companies on standby.

Hanna wrote in an email, “Hopefully this will just be an exercise and we will be ready to rock and roll Monday.” As Michael approached, and internet and phone service faded, Hanna sent a final email to FSU leaders saying, “Our team has done a great job following the standard protocol, however, nothing is standard for a storm like this.”

While hunkered down at the Bay County Emergency Operations Center, Hanna and Gulf Coast State College President John Holdnak made a pact to share classrooms if either campus sustained damage. Three weeks later, that agreement would be put to use.

DISASTER RECOVERY: FSU Panama City suffered significant damage, but swift action by administration allowed the campus to reopen Oct. 29.

Bill Lax/FSU Photography Services

THE AFTERMATH

The day after the storm, FSU officials flew by helicopter from Tallahassee to Panama City. They met Hanna and other key personnel at FSU Panama City and supplied them with temporary cell phones to overcome service disruptions.

“The campus, when we first flew over it, appeared to be in good physical shape,” FSU Police Chief David Perry said. “It looked good compared to the region around it. But as we physically walked through the buildings, the water and structural damage was significant.”

Disaster recovery crews immediately went to work repairing the damaged buildings, and campus staff and administrators deployed phone trees, sent emails, made calls and conducted well-checks to determine the safety status of every staff and faculty member.

“We were in uncharted territory,” Polick said. “Our first thoughts were, ‘Is everyone OK?’ and ‘Who needs help?’ We had staff and faculty members checking on each other, checking with their students and helping each other at their homes – even going to each other’s houses to cut down trees. The sense of community was incredible.”

Although everyone was affected by the hurricane in some way, staff began moving forward to get campus back up and running.

“Our mission was to do whatever necessary to ensure students could successfully complete the semester. It was a daunting task,” Henry said.

By early Friday, plans were in place to address two major concerns for students: their well-being and their ability to finish the semester. Staff from FSU Panama

City’s undergraduate studies and student success programs temporarily relocated to Tallahassee for two weeks, establishing a hot line to call for assistance and coordinating efforts with the university’s registrar and the offices of distance learning, financial aid, housing and student affairs.

Facebook groups helped students, faculty and staff to report their status, request aid or explore housing options.

“We all came together as a unified team and kept pushing forward,” Henry said.

“I’ve been employed with FSU for 15 years, spending time in both Tallahassee and Panama City, and I had not seen the level of support develop in such a rapid fashion like we saw happen after this disaster,” Director of Student Success and Registrar Services Jim Allen said. “Staff and faculty from across the university were offering to help.”

RESUMING CLASSES

Two days after Michael, FSU announced courses at the Tallahassee campus and online would resume Monday, Oct. 15. The PC campus would remain closed.

Because many Panama City faculty teach online courses, instructors had to use cell phones to record lectures or travel to Tallahassee to teach courses.

“Early on, we realized the solution to this problem was to use technology in classes whenever we could,” Polick said. “This meant that students who had access to internet could start back with class as soon as materials were available. Others, who were more severely impacted, could catch up with materials and videos posted online when they were ready.”

FSU allowed students to drop classes without a financial penalty if storm recovery prevented them from successfully completing coursework. Students also could work with instructors and earn an ‘incomplete’ grade for the semester, which gave them an extension to complete work during the next semester.

“We had to pay attention to VA benefits, financial aid rules, contact hour regulations, academic deadlines,” Henry said. “We had to consider all these moving parts to ensure students got what they needed, while also being in compliance with federal policies and accreditation requirements.”

For the next two weeks, administrators and the recovery team met daily, marking offices, classrooms and labs as red for unsafe, yellow for unsure or green for clear.

“As days passed, we monitored the progress on the campus. Academics at that point were a puzzle to put together,” Polick said.

Once electricity was restored to the majority of Bay County, it was quickly evident that the main internet fiber serving FSU Panama City and Gulf Coast State College was still damaged.

“We knew the internet was not at full capacity, but we took a risk so that students would not continue to lose valuable time,” Hanna said. “A hurricane in the middle of the semester is a tough one to recover from in terms of getting back on track and finishing the semester. We knew we had to open campus as soon as possible to give our students the best chance of completing the semester successfully, and for many students, this meant the ability to still graduate on time.”

RESILIENCE, HOPE AND EXCITEMENT: FSU President John Thrasher joined Dean Hanna in welcoming students, faculty and staff back to campus and reassuring students that the administration is there to help them succeed and move forward.

REOPENING CAMPUS

FSU Panama City reopened Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, just 19 days after Hurricane Michael made landfall. When students returned, the campus looked different, but the same “family” atmosphere was there.

On the first day back at FSU Panama City, FSU President John Thrasher held a forum for faculty, staff and students.

“This is a resilient place. People here are extraordinarily resilient,” he said.

Students agreed.

“The positivity continues to spread. And keeping that energy going, it’s what’s going to help us rebuild and recover and become stronger than ever,” electrical engineering student Tasneem Salman said.

Although campus wasn’t back to normal, everyone acknowledged a new normal, which made them appreciate how far the campus and the Seminole family have come.

When the campus reopened, help came in many forms. FSU established the Seminole Emergency Relief Fund and distributed more than $32,500 to Panama City students, faculty and staff within the first week. Students were served more than 3,000 free meals during the first week back on campus. They also had access to a food pantry and free clothing and supplies in the FSU PC Market, staged in the Holley rotunda. Counselors were on hand, as well as FEMA representatives, to answer questions.

FSU’s Early Childhood Autism Program partnered with a local church to house their program while campus was closed so clients would not lose valuable services.

Students, faculty and staff also did their part to give back to the community. Students rallied together, going door to door to offer aid to those in the hardest hit areas of the region. The admissions staff cleared debris from Lynn Haven Elementary School, and administrators partnered with staff to distribute hot meals to first responders and those in need.

Gulf Coast State College opened the following week and used classrooms at FSU Panama City for their Health Sciences programs throughout the fall semester while their campus continued recovery efforts.

Restoration continues at FSU Panama City, and the campus hasn’t fully recovered from Hurricane Michael, but it is about 95% complete.

“I’m proud of how much we accomplished as a team in the wake of a natural disaster,” Hanna said. “We are one year out from the storm, and while we still have work to do, at FSU Panama City we continue to be committed to doing our part to help our community move forward.”

HURRICANE MICHAEL BY THE NUMBERS

$25 billion in total hurricane damages

$1 million+ in FSU Panama City damages

416 downed campus trees

3,000+ meals distributed during first week of classes

12,000+ meals distributed by student volunteers for Operation BBQ

$32,500 in aid awarded during the first week of classes

Overwhelming amount of donations to the food pantry

251 GCSC students shared the FSU PC campus

24 total days FSU PC campus was closed

10 cases of Lysol, 500 rags, 400+ garbage bags and boxes for campus clean up

FSU PANAMA CITY RESPONSE TIMELINE

Fri., Oct. 5

First notification of Disturbance 47

Mon., Oct. 8

FSU Panama City and Tallahassee campuses close

Panama City Beach evacuation plans begin

Wed., Oct. 10

FSU PC and GCSC agree to share classrooms if needed

12:30 p.m. Michael makes landfall in Florida as a Category 5 hurricane

Thurs., Oct. 11

Damages are accessed by FSU facilities and Panama City campus repairs begin

Sun., Oct. 14

Student volunteers serve more than 12,000 meals at Operation BBQ

Mon., Oct. 15

Tallahassee and online classes resume

Panama City campus opening date remains uncertain

Tues., Oct. 16

FSU PC Student Facebook Group provides updates and resources

Fire suppression system is drained for roof repairs

Wed., Oct. 17

Emergency Relief Fund Established

Drop deadline is extended to the end of fall term

Thurs., Oct. 18

Power restored to FSU PC

Student Veterans Center announces emergency funds

Staff compiles Hurricane Michael FAQ and survey to identify needs

Fri., Oct. 19

Group counseling sessions are established for students at FSU PC and GCSC

Mon., Oct. 22

Plans begin to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner to everyone on campus during the first week back to campus

Tues., Oct. 23

Tuition deferment payments are extended an additional eight weeks

Thurs., Oct. 25

FSU begins accepting applications to the Seminole Relief Fund

Mon., Oct. 29

FSU PC campus reopens and on-campus classes resume

President Thrasher visits campus and speaks with students