Hurricane Sandy evacuates KSU students in NYC Fashion Studio
Amanda Zink starts to clean up the store she owns called “The Salty Paw,” which was completely flooded on the waterfront of lower Manhattan, Tuesday, October 30, 2012. The tape on the windows was no match for the strength of the storm. Hurricane Sandy caused major damage to New York City and surrounding areas. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT.
While the Kent State campuses in Northeast Ohio have encountered high winds and seemingly never-ending rain, the students at the university’s fashion studio in New York City have taken the brunt of superstorm Sandy.
Young Kim is the interim director of the studio. She said students were instructed to evacuate their homes and apartments in parts of New Jersey, Manhattan and Brooklyn Saturday.
The studio follows New York City public schools closure policies. Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced all schools would be closed Sunday evening.
Kim said the storm has kept her glued to her computer so she can monitor any updates on Sandy or from her students.
“Last night Manhattan was scary because from what I hear, you literally felt the building shake,” Kim said. “When you live in a 12-story building, shaking is not so much fun. It did not subside until about midnight.”
The storm has forced a shutdown of city transit, schools and many businesses in the tri-state area. The shutdown of New York City transit is only the second closing in history.
Public transportation is a multi-million-dollar industry in the tri-state area. The subway hosts more than 5 million passengers per day in New York City — and that includes students in the NYC Fashion Studio.
Kim described the mass transit system in New York City as the “artery of Manhattan.”
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency Saturday, and the storm left nearly eight million people in the northeast without power Monday night.
Residents used the end of the weekend to flock to grocery and convenience stores in order to stock up on ice, canned goods, bottled water and other emergency supplies.
Hardware store owners in the city and surrounding areas have also reported record sales of generators, flashlights and batteries Friday.
The latest updates before the Daily Kent Stater went to press reported 48 deaths related to the storm, many caused by falling trees.
Alex Johnson, senior fashion merchandising major at the studio, said Kim and Educational Housing Services have kept her informed of the storm’s every move.
“We get emails up to date every couple hours, since you’re far away from home,” Johnson said. “It’s still nerve-racking because you’re a little uncertain for how to handle it.”
Contact Grant Engle at [email protected]