U. secures windows, buys gear to prep for Isabel
Expected to hit sometime late today, Hurricane Isabel has University officials hurrying to ensure that Penn is ready for the storm.
"I know we're prepared," Facilities Services Zone Director Betsy Robinson said, noting that throughout the storm, there will be Facilities staff on hand 24 hours a day. "Floyd gave us some great preparation."
Hurricane Floyd, which hit Penn four years ago, dropped 12 inches of rain and caused 12 deaths in the Philadelphia area.
This year, Facilities officials are using the lesson of Hurricane Floyd to guide purchasing decisions.
"We purchased plywood and rain gear and all sorts of equipment to clean the drains," Robinson said, adding, "All over campus we've been focusing on clearing drains."
The University also bought sandbags to secure windows and entryways that may be vulnerable to flooding.
"We're securing windows where we think there might be issues for high winds," Robinson said.
Facilities Services has a meeting scheduled for early this morning to finalize storm preparations.
-- Laura Sullivan
