All three of George Washington’s campuses are open and operating after a rare and unusually severe thunderstorm moved through the area Friday evening.
The weather system, called a “derecho” (or “straight” in Spanish), is characterized by high, straight-line winds that move at an average of 70 miles per hour.
Over the weekend in Foggy Bottom, the fourth and final Colonial Inauguration continued without major disruption due to contingency planning led by the Division of Student Affairs and input from other university departments, including GW’s Office of Emergency Management. For example, Saturday evening’s parent dinners were relocated indoors in anticipation of the weekend’s high temperatures. Some events scheduled for Sunday at the Mount Vernon Campus were relocated to buildings with power.
At the Mount Vernon Campus, Pepco is working to restore remaining power outages in West Hall, Mount Vernon Athletic Complex (including Lloyd Gym and the swimming pool), and the Clock Tower. Cleanup is underway to remove tree debris.
There is no major damage or power outages reported at the Virginia Science and Technology Campus.
Power has been restored to the Biostatistics Center in Rockville, Md.
Before Friday’s night storm, preparedness information was posted on GW Campus Advisories regarding summer heat and severe weather. Information on excessive heat was also sent to university leadership and stakeholders. Following the storm, GW’s Office of Emergency Management communicated information regarding outages and other impacts with university officials.
For updates, check GW Campus Advisories or call the GW Information Line at 202-994-5050. Students, faculty, and staff should keep GW Alert contact information up to date in order to receive the latest updates and alerts.