By Holly Desrosier
This is Part I in a series of stories focusing on the impact Hurricane Florence has had on Craven Community College’s faculty, staff, students and the community.
After much deliberation and careful consideration, Craven Community College (Craven CC) made the difficult decision to close its campuses Sept. 11-30 to accommodate preparatory efforts and recovery needs due to Hurricane Florence’s unwelcome visit. This decision was also made in accordance with the Craven County government’s mandatory evacuation order.
“Our most important priority was to keep everyone safe,” said Ray Staats, Craven CC president. “We wanted to ensure everyone was able to take care of their families and loved ones and had enough time to make any necessary preparations for the storm.”
Hurricane Florence brought unfathomable damage and destruction in its wake, causing incalculable loss for many citizens of Craven County and surrounding areas. The college itself was fortunate: Both campuses were spared the level of devastation that many residents suffered. The only major damage sustained was to the Havelock campus’ Institute of Aeronautical Technology hangar roof, which was partially blown off. Other damage included various water intrusions in buildings and downed trees and limbs.
Although classes were cancelled and Craven CC facilities were closed to faculty, staff and students, the New Bern campus was abuzz with volunteers and employees from several local organizations. As recovery efforts unfolded, the community showed resilience by banding together and demonstrating support and compassion for one another in various ways.
Public Radio East (PRE), based out of Barker Hall on the New Bern campus, proved vital to keeping the community informed. Their team courageously continued operations and stayed on air to provide critical safety information during the course of the storm.
“The main thing we’ve been hearing from folks is that we were a lifeline for them,” said Jared Brumbaugh, PRE news coordinator. “When the power went out in their homes, they weren’t able to get TV, but they were able to get our radio station. We were one of the only stations in the area able to broadcast before, during and after the storm. We were on the air just giving folks the info they needed to know.”
The crew at WCTI NewsChannel 12 were forced to abandon their local studio on Glenburnie Drive due to severe flood damage. They set up a temporary studio in the Godwin Memorial Library on Craven CC’s New Bern campus, where they diligently continued to keep everyone updated with thorough coverage of Hurricane Florence.
The New Bern Police Department also utilized the college’s facilities by setting up a temporary emergency operations center at the Mary Dale Bender Center.
The college also provided an area for the American Red Cross, in conjunction with the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) Men’s Ministries’ Disaster Relief USA team and the North Carolina Mobile Feeding Kitchen, to prepare 14,000 hot meals that were distributed to people in need after the hurricane.
“Even as we start returning to our normal schedules and resuming daily activities, there is still a long road ahead to recovery,” said Dr. Staats. “Craven Community College is fully committed to making sure our community remains prosperous, and we will continue our efforts to assist all those in need.”
As with the aftermath from other tragedies, all citizens affected share the common goal of repairing the damage and regaining a sense of normalcy as soon as possible. Craven CC is grateful for all the volunteers and organizations that came together and did whatever it took to help the community recover.