NEW ORLEANS — Loyola University President Kevin Wildes learned the hard way the importance of being prepared for natural disasters when he led his student body on the path to recovery following Hurricane Katrina.
“It wasn’t just the storm, but the flooding. The challenge really came in how we reorganized after the storm,” Wildes said. He explained that his school learned very broad lessons — most importantly, that you need to have a conscious and attentive disaster plan at all times.
“Any college or university anywhere can learn from us,” Wildes said. “You hope to God that nothing ever happens, but if something does happen, you have to be ready.”
His comments came Thursday during a Presidential Panel revisiting the challenges of surviving Hurricane Katrina during the 26th annual National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education. Other panelists included Tulane University President Dr. Scott Cowen, Xavier University President Dr. Norman Francis, former Dillard University President Dr. Marvalene Hughes, Southern University of New Orleans Chancellor Dr. Victor Ukpolo and facilitator, Howard University President Dr. Sidney Ribeau.
Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans in August 2005, caused more than $81 billion in damages and claimed more than 1,800 lives. It not only had a devastating impact on the city of New Orleans but also on the institutions of higher education within the city.
Introduced by Dr. James Pappas, University of Oklahoma vice president for university outreach, the panel of presidents highlighted the monumental challenges their institutions faced in order to survive post-Katrina.
“My campus was completely and totally destroyed by fire, water, any unimaginable situation you can have. Had any of our students been left on campus, they would not have made it,” said Hughes, whose campus sustained $400 million in damages after the storm.
