The Category 4 Hurricane Ida hit the United States on August 29 and Pennsylvania on September 1, causing severe damage all around the country. GA’s campus was not spared from the storm, but the quick response of the facilities team and the resilience of the GA community have both been of assistance in the overall recovery.
Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana at around 11:55 AM on August 29, 2021, with winds as high as 172 mph — just shy of a Category 5 storm. According to CNBC News, the storm has been predicted to rank as the seventh most costly hurricane to hit the United States since the year 2000. Moreso, the storm has caused the worst urban flood disaster in the history of the Northeast. An article by The Washington Post reported that the death toll in that region was over forty people, and the storm caused tornadoes in six states. The flooding surged with heights between eight and nine feet; however, higher surges likely occurred in some areas and were not able to be measured. The maximum forecasts detected surges of twelve to sixteen feet, and offshore, measured by a satellite, the surges were as high as 38 feet.
The result of such a powerful natural disaster was reflected in both the wreckage and the ensued financial burden. AccuWeather projects the costs of damage to total at around $95 billion US dollars, which is around $15 billion more than originally predicted. This amount goes beyond the damage caused to houses and cars, as this estimate includes the cost of labor, the disruption of tourism, and the inability to get to and from work. For industries like oil and gas, these lasting effects could wind up to be more severe. The Bank of America suspects that the storm’s impacts may even surpass the toll of Katrina. Nonetheless, Ida caused serious damage to communities all around the country, especially to those of us who live on the east coast.
Unfortunately, the Germantown Academy community has also been devastated by the storm. Just one day before the intended first day of school, the remnants of Hurricane Ida passed through Fort Washington, flooding the Wissahickon Creek and damaging GA’s campus. Although the main building remained safe, the Arts Center suffered the most damage, with flooding inside the auditorium space and in the basement-level classrooms. Dr. Molly MacKean, Head of Upper School, recalls walking through GA the day after Ida hit the campus. She describes, “The power was still out on campus and there was about two feet of standing water inside the auditorium down by the stage.” The damage to the carpeting and walls was so severe that she thought it would be weeks before it was safe to go back into the auditorium and classrooms. However, she says, “It was really lucky and incredible that the cleanup crew we brought in was able to move as fast as they were,” allowing teachers and students to use the basement-level classrooms in just a little over two weeks.
Though it was frustrating to have the beginning of the school year disrupted by Hurricane Ida, Dr. MacKean expressed her gratitude at “how lucky we were, that we didn’t get hit by that same tornado that went just a few hundred feet by on Bethlehem Pike.” Despite the unexpected start to the school year, Dr. MacKean thanks the amazing facilities team for being “super responsive and quick to deal with the challenge.” Overall, she is grateful to the GA community for their flexibility and resilience even in the midst of a pandemic.