Murray State University is closed until Monday due to a major ice storm than hit Murray last night. The Murray campus and community is currently without power and water.
According to the Murray State Web site, a Boil Water advisory for the City of Murray has been issued. Water used for drinking or cooking must be boiled before consumption.
According to the news briefing with Murray State officials made earlier today, the main Murray State campus is closed until Monday. There is no power, including heat and water throughout the Murray area.
"I thank everyone for being very helpful and very patient through this emergency situation. I've been tremendously pleased with the help we've received from students," Murray State President Randy Dunn said in a statement made a few hours ago. "We are closing classes Thursday and Friday. We are encouraging the students who can drive home to go home and for those who cannot, we have arranged food services.”
Students evacuate residential colleges
Randy Dunn said all students living in one of the eight residential colleges need to evacuate the colleges by 6 p.m. tonight. Dorms will reopen from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., tomorrow.
“I don’t anticipate students on campus until Monday,” Dunn said.
He said students should monitor the Murray State Web page and listen to WKMS radio for updates.
Students remaining on campus should relocate to Lovett Auditorium where the facilities are heated. Carr Health and Weeks Community Center serve as backup shelters.
Ali Sayre, senior from Louisville, Ky., didn’t have an ice scraper to help her push the layers of ice and snow off her car windshield. She resolved to using an orange key chain to beat the elements.
“This is the first time they’ve cancelled school in 20 some-odd years. I’m glad they did, though.
“I just thought it would just look like this (outside) but I didn’t think school would be cancelled.”
For Ryan Curry, freshman from Springfield, Ill., getting out of town was the problem. With no gas pumps in Murray, his nearly empty gas tank wouldn’t get him far.
“I don’t know where gas pumps work,” Curry said. “That’s why I haven’t left yet.”
Cody Fouts, a freshman from Boonville, Ind., said many of the students are stressed and scared as they pack and find a place to stay.
“I have friends who can’t go anywhere. They’re scared,” Fouts said.
Winslow Dinning Hall offers free food
According to Dunn, Winslow will remain open until 6 p.m. to offer students and Murray residents basic food and water.
Utility Outages
According to the Tennessee Valley Authority Web site, at 10 a.m., customer outages total of about 108,000. 89,000 Kentucky customers are out of service. Brooks Clark, spokesman for TVA, said while the company is quickly working on restoring the lines, the weather conditions make it difficult.
“The difficult conditions make it hard for crews to get to the transmission lines,” Clark said.
He said he is unsure when all power will be restored.
Tony Thompson of Murray Electric said 7,700, all meters the company covers, are out in Murray. MES is one of the 11 distributors of TVA in Kentucky.
“We don’t have any electricity to give out until TVA goes back out,” Thompson said.
According to information from WKMS’s Web site, ATT is in the process of assembling an emergency tower for phone service.
Jody Cash, Major of Public Safety, said from a statement this afternoon, The Murray Calloway County hospital is working to increase water pressure.
Sam Harris of Water District II on New Concord Road said the city has a leak in the water system that they have been looking for since 2 a.m.
“They’ve got more people running around that town looking for that leak,” Harris said.
He said in his 78 years in living in Murray this is the first time he is aware of the entire city being out of electricity.
Hospital officials could not be reached for comment.
Weather Forecast
According to the national weather service, tonight is to be mostly cloudy with the low of 17 degrees. Thursday is partly sunny with high of 31 degrees. Thursday night there is a 20 percent chance of light snow with a 22 degree low. Friday is partly sunny with a low of 44 degrees. Friday night has a low of 17 degrees, partly cloudy. Saturday is mostly sunny, high 44. Saturday night is mostly cloudy, low of 32, cloudy. Sunday is 44 degrees, mostly cloudy. Sunday night is 30 degrees and a chance of snow.
Preparations
“We were very ready,” Dunn said. “The university emergency operations center has equipment and materials available for the city and county. There has been very good cooperation.”
According to WKMS reports from Todd Hatton, The Murray-Calloway County hospital as about 96 hours left of water left, not enough to sustain the emergency.
WKMS said Kroger, the only store open and selling food in Murray, currently has lines back to the meat counter.
Paris, Tenn. is the closest location to have power.
Priorities given to shelters and critical care facilities.
Information presented in the press briefing from Jody Cash: “We do not yet know the problem of the power failure, so we can not fix it yet. This problem may persist for days. We are looking for the hospitals to get better water pressure.
“Cell phone service is spotty. This is a regional problem. Like an earthquake, we are having problems getting roads open. Trees will continue to fall throughout the night. As far as heat, we will have warming stations at Lovett Auditorium.
Ice storm hits Murray
Classes cancelled through weekend
Published: Thursday, January 29, 2009
Updated: Thursday, January 29, 2009
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Customers waited for nearly two hours in line to purchase necessities at the Murray Kroger store.
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Students gather in a warming area during the electrical outage. Classes are cancelled through the weekend.
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8 comments
There was also another time when all classes were canceled due to poor weather conditions.
Nevertheless, great story! I used to write for the paper myself. :)