Stetson senior Lexi Falance has just been through one of the most terrifying experiences of her life: Hurricane Ian, a monster Category 4 storm, made landfall near her hometown of Cape Coral, Florida, while she stayed back on Stetson’s campus for days before hearing if her family was safe.

“Being about 20 minutes from Fort Myers, my family lost power and cell reception before the storm even hit Cape Coral,” described Falance, a public health and political science dual major. “I spent a lot of time staring at my phone waiting for a response. When the storm was coming, the last thing I had heard from them was ‘Get out of Florida or take cover and stock up before it gets to you.’ Then, the call dropped. I hadn’t really heard anything in days. My messages wouldn’t go through, and the cell towers here dropped, too.” 

Under the leadership of Larry Correll-Hughes, PhD, co-interim vice president for Campus Life and Student Success, who also oversees the EMT (Emergency Management Team) Policy Group, all of Stetson’s campuses had prepared for what Hurricane Ian was about to bring.

“Our primary focus was to ensure the safety of our faculty, staff and students,” said Francisco Ortiz, director of Public Safety and Emergency Management coordinator. “We developed contingency plans in the event that we needed to close the campus, as well as if the campus remained open and the potential for the loss of power.”

For several days before the storm, Scott Thacker, associate vice president for Facilities Management, and his team topped off the fuel level of all generators and tested them to make sure they would work. They also secured all lose items on campus that could blow around, placed sandbags in areas that were likely to collect water, staged equipment and supplies in key areas to be ready to respond to post-storm recovery efforts, and contacted vendors to verify they would be willing and able to respond to assist Stetson with recovery. 

“I was impressed with the hard work of all of my staff to prepare the campus and to be ready and willing to respond to all needs that arose,” said Thacker. “We have an amazing grounds crew, as well as custodial and maintenance teams. Everyone responded as soon as they were asked.”

Daily Updates

The Stetson administration issued an update on Monday, Sept. 26, that the DeLand campus would halt classes Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 28-30. The administration encouraged “students who can safely return home or shelter with family or friends elsewhere may be more comfortable doing so and are always encouraged to make their own decisions for their own safety.” 

The same daily update shared that the “local emergency services are preparing for potential winds of 74-110 mph on Thursday into Friday, and heavy rains of 8-15 inches are expected.” 

Students who could leave were instructed to close and lock all windows in their residence hall rooms, unplug electrical devices and lift them off the floor, and empty their refrigerators. Employees of Stetson were told to empty refrigerators and turn off all computers, monitors and IT equipment before leaving. 

Falance is thankful the Stetson administration did not require students to go home, especially in the case of students like her whose hometowns had to brace for a direct Category 4 or 5 hit. 

“I would have driven directly into the storm,” she said. “That would have been dangerous for me. Furthermore, my partner is from Pakistan, as he is an international student. Had Stetson made us evacuate, we both would have had nowhere to go.”

Falance stayed at the Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) house during the worst of the storm. 

Welcome Relief

“In the middle of the night, my boyfriend and I drove to a friend’s house with power so I could try to keep tabs on my family,” Falance continued. “I watched news videos, reloaded articles for updates and waited. First thing in the morning, we came back to the ATO house, but it still had no power. We ended up making the most out of it. We played guitar with friends … . I got to read some books and get a much-needed break from social media and electronics. I did go to the CUB a few times to recharge my phone in case my parents called.”

Thankfully, she received that much anticipated call the Monday after the storm ravaged through Florida. Falance’s mom, Amy Campbell, a self-employed business owner who broke her foot in two places during the storm, was able to get Wi-Fi reception at city hall and assured Falance that her entire family was safe, although the damage to their home and the town was extensive. Campbell goes to city hall every day now to speak to Falance, even if it’s only for a few minutes. 

“Dr. Roellke [Stetson President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD] did a fantastic job making sure students felt safe during the hurricane,” Falance added. “I commend him for being such a fantastic leader through what felt like an impossible challenge.” 

Roellke thanked others for their efforts.

“I especially want to thank our staff, faculty and the students who remained on campus in DeLand for their preparation, patience and cooperation,” he wrote in a special campus-wide message. “I also want to ask that we all take a moment to pause and consider those who returned to lost or damaged homes following the hurricane. … The collaboration, extra effort and ethic of care demonstrated by Hatter Nation has been both exceptional and exemplary.” 

Stetson’s support for students and staff who were deeply affected by the storm doesn’t stop even now, weeks after the hurricane made landfall.  

“Shortly after the storm, the Dean of Students Office reached out to students from zip codes most impacted by Hurricane Ian to offer support and resources,” noted Lynn Schoenberg, dean of Students and co-interim vice president of Campus Life & Student Success. “This included things like notifying faculty, the Hatter Pantry on campus, connection to Financial Aid/Bursar and referrals for Student Counseling Services and the Chaplain’s Office.” 

Among many others, Schoenberg also praised Residential Living & Learning, Public Safety and Stetson Dining for their efforts.

Note: If students are still struggling with impacts from Hurricane Ian, they are encouraged to reach out to Schoenberg at [email protected].

-Trish Wieland