On the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Floyd wreaking havoc on the Philadelphia area, another hurricane, one with a greater magnitude, threatens the city once again.
With Hurricane Isabel lurking off the Atlantic Coast, both the city, as well as the University, are taking steps to prepare for its possible descent into the region.
"We will be following the University's crisis emergency plan," Vice President of Public Safety Maureen Rush said. According to Rush, meetings to discuss the emergency plan were held all day yesterday and involved the provost, the executive vice president and the crisis management team.
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Gross, the chance of the hurricane hitting Philadelphia is "not likely." He thinks that Isabel will lose power once it reaches land and will be downgraded to a tropical storm.
The NWS predicts that the storm will land at Cape Hatteras, N.C., on Thursday afternoon, then move north toward the mid-Atlantic region.
Although Gross says the magnitude of the storm will lessen by the time it reaches the Philadelphia area, he still expects there to be "some heavy rains" and predicts "40 mph wind gusts."
Earth and Environmental Science Professor Yvette Bordeaux echoed Gross' predictions.
"There is a good chance there will be high winds and water," she said. "And a lot of rain."
The City held meetings today with all agencies within its operating department to discuss preparation plans.
"We will be providing shelter for everyone living on the street," Deputy Managing Director for the City of Philadelphia Robert Hess said.
Although all agencies have general plans, specifics cannot be finalized until the storm moves closer to the area.
"You never know what the extent of the hurricane will be," Hess said.
While it is difficult to foresee the extent to which the storm will affect the Philadelphia County, the University feels prepared after coping with last winter's storms, Communications Coordinator for the Division of Public Safety Leah Klerr said.
"The University just dealt with the blizzard last year, so we are really on our toes in terms of emergencies," Klerr said. Rush added that over the last two and a half years, Penn has restructured its crisis plan to cater specifically to natural disasters in addition to terrorism.
Klerr added, however, that there is still some level of worry.
"We are taking all measures appropriate to prepare for this ahead of time," she said. "Thankfully with technology, we have three or four days."
The City is taking similar precautions and networking with organizations such as the Red Cross, Water Department and SEPTA to design its game plan.
"Our first step is obviously continue to monitor the storm very closely," Mayor's Office spokeswoman Luz Cardenas said. "We have mobilized our city services to get prepared."
Cardenas reiterated that the changing nature of the storm makes specific planning difficult.
"We are waiting to see what we will be dealing with," Cardenas said. "We don't know that much. The city is preparing for worst and hoping for best."
Having a secure plan of attack, however, does not ensure that there will not be complications.
"What Philadelphia needs to worry about the most is the flooding," Bordeaux said. "The storm is going to dump a lot of water in a short time."
The last storm of this magnitude to hit Philadelphia was Hurricane Floyd in 1999.
According to Bordeaux, Floyd was "not as bad a storm as they say this one is."
"This one is considered to have faster winds and more rain than Floyd did," she added.
Rush recommended that concerned students use the emergency telephone line 898-MELT, which will broadcast school closures, as well as detailed information about storm-related concerns.
"Students here on campus I think will be pretty safe," Bordeaux said. "They have really built the banks up along the Schuylkill River. Chances of flooding pretty slim. It is probably not going to affect campus."
Bordeaux suggested, however, that students living in off-campus houses be attuned to possible basement flooding.
Others echoed her.
"Any time you have threatening weather conditions, use common sense," Gross said.
He added that the possibility of a power outage is high and suggested stocking up on batteries and candles. Cardenas advised residents to bring all lawn furniture and garbage cans inside and to clean their gutters to ensure smooth water flow.
"We recommend citizens not just to see this as happening far way from home," Cardenas said.
