Duke Officials Studying Hurricane Relief Efforts
First steps are being taken to coordinate cross-campus activities
Thursday, September 1, 2005
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Durham, N.C. -- Duke University, using the template of the work of students,
faculty and staff to provide relief help after the South Asian
tsunami last winter, is gearing up to help victims of Hurricane
Katrina.
“This is a disaster of unspeakable proportions,” said President Richard Brodhead. “We are concerned for those in the hurricane’s path and especially for students and member of the university community whose families are directly affected.”
Sophomore Andrew Waterman told The Chronicle that his family left its Bay St. Louis, La., home for Memphis. He said he was relieved to know his family was safe, but that his community had been devastated. “My friends sympathize with me, but I don’t think they understand how it feels to have no certainty of what happened to the area where you grew up and lived,” he said.
Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, sent an electronic memo to all students letting them know that the office will assist any student directly affected by the hurricane. “Clearly, much more help will be needed from all of us and I hope that soon we'll have opportunities for all to participate,” Moneta wrote.
Brodhead said Wednesday that university officials had been told by major relief agencies that at this state of early response, the best thing the public could do was to make cash contributions to disperse where the needs are the greatest “People across the university are investigating ways that we can best be of service in both the short and long term,” Brodhead said.
Dr. Victor Dzau, chancellor of the Duke University Health System, sent an e-mail to his staff on Wednesday alerting them that a team of health care professionals from Duke Hospital, Durham Regional Hospital and Duke Health Raleigh Hospital was prepared to go to Louisiana as part of the State Medical Assistance Team. They could leave as early as Friday to assist in setting up a field hospital outside of New Orleans, he said. In addition, the health system hospitals are prepared to receive some of the hurricane victims in need of medical attention, under the supervision of the Federal Disaster Coordinating Center in North Carolina.
Across the campus, various schools and departments were investigating how best to coordinate outreach efforts. The Pratt School’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering was planning to meet on Thursday to discuss the implications of the water drainage in the area. Department chairs were e-mailing their counterparts to see if they could offer assistance to students in need of classes to graduate, according to Pratt Dean Kristina Johnson.
Student affairs and the provost’s office were also considering whether they might be ways for students from Tulane University and other colleges in New Orleans to attend Duke this fall. The law school was investigating a possible program for third-year law students, according to Provost Peter Lange.
Members of the campus religious life staff were going to see whether it would be appropriate to organize a fall break trip in October for students to go help with repairs. A similar effort was organized after the eastern part of North Carolina was so hard hit by Hurricane Fran in 1999.
Members of the Office of Community Affairs and the Community Service Center were scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss what university resources might be helpful in relief efforts. Student groups likewise have scheduled a university-wide meeting for next Tuesday at noon in Von Canon Hall in the Bryan Center.
The early look at relief assistance came as authorities in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi continued to increase the known death toll and damage reports from the hurricane and the subsequent flooding. As of Wednesday evening the number of deaths stood at 120 people and was expected to rise.
Nine months ago, members of the Duke community organized a wide-ranging program of assistance to victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. The relief effort included money, food, books for devastated universities, as well as students who helped with reconstruction efforts.
