San Diego City College administrators convened an emergency meeting Jan. 30 in response to the potential effects of the two successive atmospheric river storms that will hit San Diego beginning the morning of Feb. 1.
According to an email from City College President Ricky Shabazz to students, faculty and staff, early predictions indicate 5-10 days of continuous rain, exacerbating the strain on “systems” still recovering from the rains that struck San Diego Jan. 22-23.
Shabazz urged the student body and staff “to exercise patience and kindness,” recognizing potential campus-wide impacts of leaks and water intrusion.
Acknowledging the top priority of student health and wellness, he warned of disruptions to instruction and college operations, including delays in bus and trolley services, particularly affecting Southeast San Diego lines.
As of 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 1, the campus remained open without any significant closures or cancellations reported through the college website, social media or the LiveSafe app.
“Be safe … if you are driving to work and you are in the rain and you don’t feel comfortable go ahead and stay at home,” Shabazz shared via a video message. “I’ve talked to our supervisors about exercising extreme flexibility, extreme caution.”
According to Shabazz, public transportation users are already experiencing extended commute times, with delays of 1-2 hours reported. Updated information is also available on the MTS Alerts and Detours site.
In light of varying impacts, campus community members were encouraged to report issues promptly to supervisors, deans and vice presidents.
To alleviate the rain’s challenges, the Basic Needs Center will provide limited supplies of umbrellas and rain ponchos at the Knights Table Food Pantry to the City community.
By midday, the pantry was busier than usual, with a box full of ponchos and a small number of umbrellas left.
Shabazz authorized the purchase of additional umbrellas, and the center is equipped to assist students in applying for unexpected financial emergency funds.
To facilitate remote learning, the library will provide MacBooks and Windows laptops, and $200,000 has been allocated for the purchase of extra laptops, according to Shabazz’s email.
Computers are also available for employees, with details on the City Library website.
According to the email, students and staff were encouraged to download the LiveSafe App (Android / iOS) for real-time updates, and information will be regularly added to the college’s storm page at www.sdcity.edu/storm.
