University officials have released an assessment of recovery efforts in the aftermath of hurricanes Gustav and Ike with total damage to the Nicholls campus estimated at approximately $3 million. John L. Guidry Stadium received the most damage with $1 million in damage to the stadium lighting. Other athletic facilities received structural damage as well.
The softball outfield fence and scoreboard were destroyed after Hurricane Gustav. The baseball outfield fence was also damaged with three-fifths of the fence being destroyed.
University facilities located off of the main campus were also affected by the hurricanes.
The Nicholls Farm, located on Thoroughbred Park Drive in Thibodaux, the Theodore L. Duhe Building in Houma and the Sculpture Garden and Folk Art Studio in Chauvin received damage from the two hurricanes.
The Sculpture Garden and Folk Art Studio flooded after Hurricane Ike. There was no major damage to the Chauvin facility, however University personnel had to clean the sculptures after the flooding.
Personnel from McNeese State University and Northwestern State University assisted University staff with recovery efforts immediately after Hurricane Gustav. With assistance from its sister institutions, Nicholls was able to reopen in a timely manner.
“Clearly, the hard work and dedication of staff did much to protect the University, ensure the safety and support of students and staff and respond to the needs of the broader community,” University President Stephen Hulbert, said. “I genuinely appreciate the work of everyone involved in that effort.”
In the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav, the University served as a worksite for federal, state and local emergency response teams.
“Nicholls found a new role in the aftermath of Gustav as a staging area for the personnel of Troop C of the Louisiana State Police, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Coast Guard, among other state and federal entities,” Hulbert said.
After Hurricane Gustav made landfall, Sodexo employees provided meals and ice to University Police, maintenance staff, housing personnel, grounds staff and other essential employees on campus.
Sodexo also donated 1,500 meals to Thibodaux Family Church. These meals were served to families with power outages, damaged homes or otherwise limited financial resources.
“When Hurricane Gustav came ashore in Louisiana, the University of Louisiana System was prepared thanks to the excellent efforts of campuses such as Nicholls State University,” UL System President Randy Moffett said in a letter to Hulbert.
“During a trying time for Louisiana, Nicholls went above and beyond the call of duty with a spirit of collaboration and selflessness,” Moffett said. “The emergency preparations of your staff throughout the year yielded smooth operations when all of higher education was called upon to act.
