In just a few critical hours, Rowan’s late-August plans to welcome 1,200 new students for fall semester turned into serving as a state-mandated emergency shelter for evacuees from Atlantic and Cape May counties forced to leave their homes ahead of the storm. Rowan's effort created the largest Red Cross shelter in New Jersey’s history.
On the first night of the Hurricane Irene evacuation, most evacuees in the Rec Center gym settled in with the few belongings they could carry on the bus and stash under a cot. The surreal scene was the same in Esby Gym. The next day, relief included employee, student, alumni and local volunteers packing lunches for more than 1,000 shelter guests.
