Tuesday evening, winds as fast as 50 mph uprooted dozens of trees, downed powerlines, and even crushed MCC’s digital welcome screen. These winds were a part of a greater storm that traveled from Muskegon to as far as Lansing with some areas experiencing hail, lightning, and torrential rain. As fast as the storm came, it cleared up later Tuesday night. But what the storm left behind was its dismissal for damages.

Due to extensive damages, Wednesday classes, both online and in-person, were canceled. Wednesday and Thursday MCC’s crisis crew began to clean up the remnants of broken tree trunks plucked from the ground, brush, and branches around campus. A regional tree company was brought in to remove larger trees, according to MCC President, Dr. Dale Nesbary. So far, the clean-up has been fruitful, allowing more space in the road for people to drive off Quarterline Road and make walking around campus much easier. Though for the time being, the North Entrance parking lot is still being cleaned and will not be used for parking. Students and staff are encouraged to use the other lots, such as the East Entrance parking lot for parking. The following is Dr. Nesbary’s latest update on clean-up:

Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021

Dear Campus Community

First and foremost, I am extremely thankful that everyone safely endured Tuesday’s storm, given its intensity. The sight of in-person classes and a packed North parking lot today has been heartwarming.

Again, thank you to our students, faculty, and employees for your patience during the disruption to our facilities and our technology. In addition to the power outage, the storm uprooted more than 40 trees on the main campus and at University Park Golf Course and caused minor damage to our facilities. Fortunately, our top-notch Physical Plant and Office of Technology Services staff were able to get our systems back up and running in time for classes today.

Our storm recovery efforts include a regional tree removal company. The main campus cleanup could continue for two weeks, so please proceed with caution while on campus. Alert our Physical Plant Office should you notice a potential safety hazard. We expect to reopen the South parking on campus this Monday, Sept. 13.

The teamwork required to overcome the storm’s impact on our campus operations was on full display this week. I see it every day in our “Of Course We Can” attitude.

Sincerely,

Dale K. Nesbary, Ph.D.
President

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