Torrential storms in previous weeks left residents of Dallas and SMU’s campus looking for answers about debris cleanup, repairs and power outages. The recent rain storms come after many Mustangs have already moved off campus for summer.
Mustangs still on campus this summer should watch for downed tree limbs around the Hilltop, such as the one in the rear parking lot of McFarlin Auditorium. There are also stacks of tree limbs still waiting to be taken away from storms that occurred May 28 and as recently as this week.
SMU journalism professor Charlie Scudder saw a large tree branch on Dallas Hall lawn and by the Bush Library the day after the storm. He said he also saw shingles from Umphrey Lee’s roof lying near the building.
“Similar to many parts of the DFW area, the high winds and heavy rain caused some tree damage. No power outages were reported. SMU Aware sent out several emergency messages – SMU Alerts – updating campus on the storm and campus operations,” Scott Tarzwell, SMU’s Director of Emergency Management said in a statement to the DC.
Efforts are already in effect to clean up the storm’s debris on campus, which one Southern Botanicals worker described as relatively mild.
Dallas residents are dealing with more serious consequences from the storm.
A University Park resident who lives on Merrimac Avenue and wanted to remain anonymous was expecting to be without power for two days after the May 28 storms. He described debris “everywhere, all over the streets.”
President Biden declared a disaster for Dallas because of the storms over Memorial Day weekend and there are still residents without power. SMU was spared from losing power, Tarzwell said.
“Some traffic signals on Hillcrest are out but the campus has electricity,” SMU professor of film and media arts David Sedman said.
A week later, SMU’s campus still shows some of the scars from the storm. Tree debris has now been neatly pushed out of roadways, but the piles of dead branches serve as a haunting reminder of how powerful storms can be.
“It could have been much worse,” Sedman said.
For information on how to weather the next storm on the Hilltop visit http://smu.edu/aware.
