- All Valdosta State campuses remain closed to students, faculty, staff, and guests due to the risks associated with fallen trees and branches.
- Palms Dining Hall is operating in a limited capacity to help serve employees and first responders.
- Watch the video to hear how VSU is making progress on debris removal.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
Monica Haynes is the ground superintendent for VSU.
"I was very heartbroken at first because we spent a lot of time trying to make the campus beautiful."
She tells me that in the course of the week, she and her crew have lifted hundreds of trees from the main campus; they still haven't finished counting.
"We have a small dump truck. But we've probably done about 40 or 50 dump truck loads out of here already."
The damage is so widespread, they've had to get help from groundskeepers from other schools, like Billy Edwards from Albany State University.
"They helped u out at first with Hurricane Michael come through 2017. They helped us out. We returned the favor last year, 2023."
VSU is making progress on cleaning up campus and getting power.
Chuck Polen, general manager of VSU Blazer Dining, tells me they're even operating Palms Dining Center in a limited capacity to keep employees and first responders fed.
"When I got here I really felt terrible that a lot of these buildings that we rebuilt from the previous storms are now damaged again and most importantly as you drive in you you can see the community how much they are affected."
Powell Hall, Farbar Hall, the Fine Arts Building, Patterson Hall, and the University Center are next to be cleared out; they took the worst damage during Helene.
Classes will remain online until October 16. In Valdosta, I’m Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC 27.
