WOFFORD NEWS RELEASE

Everyone remains safe!

Power has been restored.

Water and wind damage to buildings is still being evaluated; most damage seems minimal.

More than 120 trees are down or damaged beyond repair, some over 100 years old.

Wofford College looks different after the eyewall of Hurricane Helene tracked east lashing Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina with unprecedented wind and rain. Full recovery will take weeks, but classes have resumed, and administrative offices have reopened. Fall break is still scheduled for Oct. 17-18, and Thanksgiving and winter holidays will run as scheduled. The academic calendar remains unchanged.

“It’s been over a week since since Hurricane Helen’s path surprised forecasters and shifted almost 100 miles east, with the eyewall tracking over the Greenville and Spartanburg area. Today, we continue our cleanup efforts, grateful that there were no injuries and comparatively minor damages to property,” says Wofford President Nayef Samhat. “We know that our college is fortunate, and we grieve for those in our community — including our neighbors to the north in Western North Carolina — who did suffer devasting losses.”

According to Samhat, the Wofford College community has rallied in the wake of the hurricane.

  • Grounds and facilities crews, residence life staff and campus safety remained on campus during the hurricane. Many worked around the clock for the first few days to ensure that students were safe. The college’s grounds crews began the cleanup even before the storm had fully passed and worked tirelessly to clear the campus of fallen trees and debris.
  • Students who remained on campus were patient and resilient when placed in temporary housing and dining facilities were relocated. They helped each other whenever possible.
  • AVI Foodsystems, the college’s dining services partner, braved the storm and adapted to power outages and the needs of the student body.
  • Faculty and staff joined students on campus for meals in the dining hall when most people in the Spartanburg community were without power or water.
  • The college opened spaces for hot showers and device charging.
  • Faculty and staff called students from areas affected by the hurricane to check on them and their families and offer resources if needed.
  • At the request of Wofford families and alumni, the college established a Campus Recovery Fund to support the people most affected by the disaster.
  • Inspired by the tireless work of the college’s residence life staff and ground’s crew, student-athletes led student cleanup efforts to speed the recovery.
  • The college’s Center for Community Based Learning shared needs and solicited Wofford volunteers to support neighbors in the Spartanburg community.
  • The Center for Wellness and Counseling Services shared mental health resources.
  • Wofford athletics joined the Southern Conference in relief efforts, soliciting funds and supplies for the areas most affected by the tragedy.

The community performed acts of care for others both large and small.

“Students shared their couches with their friends in residence halls without power. Our residence life staff worked around the clock to provide emergency housing and ensure the safety of students. The college’s grounds crews began the clean up immediately so power could be restored. Wofford students, led by a huge contingent of student-athletes, joined faculty, staff and coaches to pick up debris and help clean the Burwell dining hall. Staff from AVI, our food service provider, braved the storm to ensure that students had food as soon as it was safe to leave residence hall rooms,” says Samhat. “Our community showed resilience, patience and remarkable good humor, even without the comforts that many of us take for granted, and I am deeply grateful.”

The campus won’t be back to normal, but the grounds crew and others are working hard to ensure that students get to see their families during Family Weekend, Oct. 11-12, and alumni can return to check on their favorite people and places during Homecoming, Oct. 24-26.