Chancellor Li: Storm Recovery Next Steps

Mavericks,

As our university and the Omaha community recover from this weekend’s storms, I cannot contain my pride for all the ways in which we came together as Mavericks to stay safe, informed, and cared for.

I invite campus to join me in thanking the dozens of UNO staff members who have worked around the clock since Friday evening and into today to ensure we are safe, informed, and cared for, even as they and their loved ones deal with the aftermath of the storms. Units involved in these efforts include the Department of Public Safety, Housing & Residential Life, Facilities Management and Planning, and University Communications.

Campus remains safe and secure in large part because of these groups, but their work is far from over as crews continue to assess and repair damage.

Important updates to know about campus, as of 10 A.M. Tuesday, July 13, include:

• Allwine Hall sustained extensive damage to the roof in addition to some water damage inside the building.

• Thompson Alumni Center, Roskens Hall, and Criss Library sustained minor roof damage. Sapp Fieldhouse sustained roof damage and crews are evaluating its condition. The Grounds Building’s steel shed roof was removed completely by wind. Building roof assessment across campus is ongoing.

• The Sculpture Lab and the West Parking Garage each sustained wood fence damage.

• Numerous trees have been damaged and some trees will need to be completely removed. Barricades have been placed below those trees to prevent injury.

• Cleanup of tree limbs and roof insulation/materials will take several days.

• Stay Informed About Severe Weather: Sign up for UNOAlert texts, review additional emergency notifications, and review campus tornado shelter locations.

• Maverick Food Pantry: Requests for food packages can be submitted through an easy online form twice per week. Each package contains approximately two days’ worth of non-perishable items and personal hygiene products.

• Heartland Hope Mission: Will be giving out a week’s worth of groceries for people impacted by the storms. Hours: Tuesday 6:30 - 7:30 P.M.; Thursday 1:30 - 4 P.M. (3 - 4 P.M. only for people impacted by storms); Saturday 9:30 A.M.- Noon)

• Report Outages to OPPD: Report an outage or track an outage through OPPD’s Storm & Outage Center. OPPD shares updates regularly through Twitter at @OPPDcares and @OPPDStorm, and on Facebook.

• Review Debris Collection Options: Curbside collection and drop off site options are available for debris disposal. FCC Environmental will collect storm debris from residential addresses along with regular garbage and recycling service.

• Support Your Mental Wellbeing: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) are available to all enrolled students. All benefit-eligible UNO faculty and staff and eligible dependents can receive assistance and counseling through the Faculty and Staff Employee Assistance Program (FSEAP).

As difficult as this time has been for so many, Mavericks continue to be a source of inspiration for our entire community. Recent examples include Housing & Residential Life coordinating with OPPD to house 175 out-of-state contractors assisting in power restoration efforts, more than 500 Mavericks who patiently adapted to power loss, Omaha Hockey student-athletes cleaning up after the storm at Baxter Arena, and countless students, faculty, and staff who lent their time to cleanup efforts in their communities.

Today I ask each of you to reach out to a fellow student, faculty, staff member or a neighbor to lend a helping hand and make sure their needs are met. If you are in need of support, never hesitate to reach out to a fellow Maverick.

Sincerely,

Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA

UNO Chancellor