Notre Dame students living off-campus lose power
By Jason McFarley
News Editor
The overnight ice storm that paralyzed much of South Bend Thursday caused power outages at off-campus residences and crippled transportation to Notre Dame for students, faculty and staff.
At 9:30 p.m. Thursday, each of the apartment complexes that house major numbers of off-campus students was experiencing at least a partial blackout. Campus View, Castle Point, College Park and Turtle Creek complexes lost power Thursday.
Senior Mike de la Rosa discovered the power failure at his Castle Point apartment about 4 a.m. Thursday. As of 9 p.m., electricity had been restored to his neighbors' apartments, but his residence remained without power, he said.
"I thought the power would be on by now, so I went grocery shopping," de la Rosa said.
He and his roommates were storing food in a small refrigerator on the balcony of their second-floor apartment while the power was out. They were using candles for lighting and heat.
"We're definitely keeping the windows closed and trying to keep warm," he said.
Lora Redford, also of Castle Point, shared de la Rosa's concern about staying warm. One of the senior's two roommates recommended that the group stay in a hotel until the power came back on.
"It was pretty cold when I left earlier," she said. "We'll probably go back to the apartment, all sleep in one room and share blankets."
American Electric Power reported in a release that at 9 p.m. Thursday about 39,000 South Bend homes were without power. The company reported more than 65,000 outages in the northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan areas that comprise Michiana.
At its height, the blackout affected more than 86,000 AEP customers.
Around Notre Dame's campus, the ice storm downed tree limbs, disrupted traffic lights and prevented off-campus students, faculty and staff from traveling to the school.
The University officially remained opened, but ice-covered tree limbs fell from trees throughout the day and professors hampered from traveling to campus cancelled classes.
Bikes and benches outside campus buildings were framed in ice Thursday. And sections of University grounds, including areas near Walsh Hall, were cordoned off with police tape to protect passersby from falling branches.
The Landscape Services Department headed efforts to clean up the debris, according to Phil Johnson, assistant director of Notre Dame Security/Police.
Johnson, whose own home lost power Thursday, said his office received no reports of damaged buildings or other property as a result of the storm.
One official reported to students a leak in the roof of the Law School library's main reading room. In a Thursday e-mail, Roger Jacobs, associate dean for Library and Information Services, said water soaked about a dozen books on the library's south wall.
Jacobs said a maintenance crew was repairing the roof and that a Hesburgh Library preservation staff was drying the books.
All News Stories for Friday, February 1, 2002
