Stormy Beginnings
Severe storm splintered trees across campus. PC: Kayla Potts
If there is one thing that can be agreed upon about Lincoln, it’s that the weather is often unpredictable. Yet, even with this known fact, the thunderstorm that occurred late at night on August 19th took the campus by surprise.
Starting around 1 AM, a large thunderstorm rolled into Lincoln and left many without power. The Lincoln Electric System reported that 19,000 customers lost power from the storm that night due to fallen trees.
When students woke up on Sunday morning, many saw on social media how Union’s campus had been affected.
Several large trees on Union’s campus were knocked down during the thunderstorm and debris littered the grounds.Thankfully, the falling trees didn’t damage any of the buildings on campus and no one was harmed.
While the storm happened while most were inside and sleeping, it also caused difficulties for students who were out on the roads traveling.
Rebecca Phillips, a junior Nursing major, had finished work and was returning home when the storm struck. She said she was a little surprised how hard it started raining after the thunder and lightning started, even affecting her driving.
“The roads were getting so much water on the edges,” Rebecca said, describing the dangers she faced that night. “If you were too close to the curb your car would hydroplane.”
Along with tree branches blown into the streets, Rebecca also noted that there were trash cans and even a swing set in the road, making it difficult to drive without having to dodge into oncoming traffic.
Plant Services worked throughout the morning and afternoon to clear up the mess caused by the storm while returning students moved back into their dorms and completed their registrations.
By the time of the pizza feed and club signups, the sun returned and dried the campus enough for the event to take place outside. The debris in front of the Don Love building was removed and the sidewalks cleared, the fallen trees being moved aside for Plant Services to continue cutting.
With a thunderstorm one day and an eclipse the next, this year’s registration weekend has certainly been one of the most eventful and will be remembered by both students and staff alike.
Amanda McCarter is a junior studying biomedical science.