Looking Back: September 2009

When Hurricane Floyd pounded New Jersey with high winds and more than seven inches of rain 10 years ago, this group of students decided to throw caution to the wind (and rain) and turned campus into one giant Slip ’n Slide.

Words by TCNJ's editorial staff

Hurricane Floyd pounded New Jersey with high winds and more than seven inches of rain on September 16, 1999. Ewing was particularly hard hit, and town officials closed the roads around campus to nonemergency traffic by early afternoon. Phone and power outages were reported across the region, and The Signal reported that many students were unable to call home to let their parents know they were okay. (This was, after all, the “dark ages” of 1990s, before cell phones had become a mandatory accessory for every college student.) With classes canceled, roads closed, and nothing better to do, this group of students decided to throw caution to the wind (and rain) and turned campus into one giant Slip ’n Slide. Maybe you’re pictured here, or you know someone who is? Or maybe you have your own tale to tell from that day? Either way, we’d love to hear from you. Write us at magazine@tcnj.edu or share your recollections online at www.tcnjmagazine.com.