Due to extreme winds, UC Davis cancelled all classes on Tuesday and encouraged students to remain indoors until further notice. Gusts up to seven miles per hour have forced students to slow down their biking or stop altogether. Indicating the severity of this storm, leaves have fallen from trees. Early reports suggest as many as 6,891 have fallen in just the past day.
The school has taken preventative measures after the large rains of the 2014-15 school year, when large parts of campus flooded.
“We want to avoid the fiasco that followed last year’s storm,” said Thomas Hunt, the head of Transportation and Parking Services. “Campus needs to be more accessible, and winds of such a speed are not safe to ride in. The winds are supposed to die down late Tuesday night, so students should be back in class by Wednesday.”
There are mixed emotions from students.
“I’m pretty disappointed that I’m missing out on class,” said Brent Wilson, a third-year economics major. “It’s midterms season, and I want to learn as much as possible right now.”
Others feel differently. Ruben Taylor, a first-year biology major, is just happy to not have to go outside.
“Honestly, I’m feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work I have,” Taylor said. “Any break is necessary. I don’t care why we have it.”
However one feels about the situation, local meteorologists have stressed the importance of being safe and taking shelter indoors. Winds at this speed are dangerous, and leaves flying in one’s face while biking pose a great safety hazard.
You can reach ETHAN VICTOR at ejvictor@ucdavis.edu or read the nonsense he posts in the Twittersphere @thejvictor.
