Crews cleared debris from campus Tuesday as south Mississippi regrouped after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the state Monday morning.
Katrina, which first came ashore near Buras, La., as a Category 4 hurricane, caused minor damage on Mississippi State University’s campus, executive director of facilities Jim Jones said.
A tree fell on the Information Technology Services’ user services building at 51 Magruder St. Water damaged 20 university buildings, and the storm broke several windows. Falling trees brought down power lines, and numerous limbs and debris were scattered across campus.
“All in all, I think Mississippi State did well,” Jones said.
The university hired about 20 students at the last minute to assist with clean up efforts across campus, Jones said.
William Lawrence, landscape management crew leader, said the majority of the debris was spread out across the campus center. The crew cleared about 60 percent of the debris by 6 p.m. Tuesday, but members worked off the clock as volunteers after noon.
“We believe in our university and we want it to look the best it can,” Lawrence said.
The Starkville Board of Alderman declared a local state of emergency lasting seven days at an emergency meeting held Monday, Ward 4 Alderman Richard Corey said. At the end of the seven days, the city will decide whether or not to bid for federal aid.
Many students, families and residents spent Monday night in anxious waiting.
Jeffrey Ellis, a senior mechanical engineering major from Biloxi, said Monday his house on the coast could withstand a 16-foot storm surge, but along the coast, where at least 80 people were reported dead, the surge rose to as high as 27 feet.
Most of Ellis’ family evacuated to Jackson, but his father stayed behind to watch over their property, and his brother remained because he did not want to leave his father, Ellis said.
He could not be reached Tuesday for further comment.
Senior industrial technology major Eric Tappy, of Greenwood, said traffic on University Drive was congested due to a tree falling across the road across the bridge from campus. In his neighborhood, the wind knocked down gutters and satellite dishes and ripped off a fence gate.
The Oktibbeha County Red Cross opened up a shelter for anyone needing shelter from the storm, especially those living in mobile homes, which are susceptible to wind damage. The shelter opened Sunday afternoon in the First United Methodist Starkville gym. The Red Cross provided supplies, but the Oktibbeha County Department of Human Services managed the shelter, county director Liz Collier said.
“We will be here 24/7 until they decide to close it down,” Collier said.
The shelter, the largest in the area with a maximum capacity of 50, provided male and female necessity kits as well as hot food prepared by cooking teams and stuffed bears for families with small children.
After opening the shelter, the Red Cross began focusing every resource on post-disaster relief.
“If there are damages, then we will be providing assistance with that,” Oktibbeha County Red Cross director Cerese Teel said.
The university closed at noon Monday due to the unknown danger that the hurricane might bring to the area, vice president of finance and administration Ray Hayes said.
“Not knowing what will happen, whether there be downed power lines, that’s why we closed the school,” Hayes said.
Many of the faculty and staff felt it necessary that the university remain closed through Tuesday to allow off-campus students and faculty to take care of any problems incurred during the storm, Hayes added.
The university opened Herbert Hall for families of on-campus residents fleeing from the storm.
“We started having people checking in Saturday night,” student housing director Ann Bailey said.
By Monday afternoon, three-fourths of the residence hall was full, she said. Student housing provided the rooms without charge.
The Mississippi Horse Park and Agricenter, which is located in Starkville, took in about 20 animals, mostly horses. Evacuating animals has become more of a priority for people compared with the past because people have a quicker response now, facilities manager Bricklee Miller said.
The horse park usually sustains 50 to 100 animals during emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina. Miller attributed the lower number during this emergency to the fact that evacuees did not want to stray far from home this time.
“They go as far as they have to go,” Miller said.
Coastal residents are frustrated with evacuating during hurricane threats, Ellis said.
“The bad thing is, we’ve already done this twice,” Ellis said.
Many people are just staying on the coast because they’re tired of leaving their homes only to discover the storms missed their predicted landfall, he said.
major Eric Tappy, of Greenwood, said traffic on University Drive was congested due to a tree falling in front of the bridge outside campus. In his neighborhood, the wind knocked down gutters and satellite dishes and ripped off a fence gate.
The Oktibbeha County Red Cross opened a shelter Sunday afternoon in Starkville’s First United Methodist Church gym. The Red Cross provided supplies, but the Oktibbeha County Department of Human Services managed the shelter, county director Liz Collier said.
“We will be here 24/7 until they decide to close it down,” Collier said.
The shelter, the largest in the area with a maximum capacity of 50, provided male and female necessity kits as well as hot food prepared by cooking teams and stuffed bears for families with small children.
After opening the shelter, the Red Cross began focusing every resource on post-disaster relief.
“If there are damages, then we will be providing assistance with that,” Oktibbeha County Red Cross director Cerese Teel said.
The university closed at noon Monday due to the potential danger that the hurricane might bring to the area, vice president of finance and administration Ray Hayes said.
“Not knowing what will happen, whether there be downed power lines, that’s why we closed the school,” Hayes said.
Many of the faculty and staff felt it necessary that the university remain closed through Tuesday to allow off-campus students and faculty to take care of any problems incurred during the storm, Hayes added.
The university opened Herbert Hall for families of on-campus residents fleeing from the storm.
“We started having people checking in Saturday night,” student housing director Ann Bailey said.
By Monday afternoon, three-fourths of the residence hall was full, she said. Student housing provided the rooms without charge.
The Mississippi Horse Park and Agricenter, which is located in Starkville, took in about 20 animals, mostly horses, facility manager Bricklee Miller said.
The horse park usually sustains 50 to 100 animals during emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina. Miller attributed the lower number during this emergency to the fact that evacuees did not want to stray far from home this time.
“They go as far as they have to go,” Miller said.
Coastal residents are frustrated with evacuating during hurricane threats, Ellis said.
“The bad thing is, we’ve already done this twice,” Ellis said.
Many people are just staying on the coast because they’re tired of leaving their homes only to discover the storms missed their predicted landfall, he said.