Ohio citizens are used to sporadic weather- rain, sleet, hail, snow- you name it, we’ve experienced it. However, Ohioans were in for an unexpected surprise the week of August 5th. All across Northeast Ohio, storms ripped apart houses, trees, and telephone polls. Throughout the week, many families had to find shelter with friends or relatives as they went without power for days. More than 500,000 homes and businesses went without power for 96 hours. Multiple EF-1 tornadoes touched down, leaving a mess for crews and power companies to clean up. The city of Chesterland experienced immense damage as Mayfield road remained closed. After the initial storm, citizens had to maneuver around fallen trees, live wires, and broken telephone polls. Areas of Ohio are still recovering, most notably back roads where huge trees and twigs litter the streets. Luckily, no deaths or serious injuries have been reported.

Many NDCL students experienced the storm up close and personal as they participated in on-campus activities. Most notably, Labre students got caught in Euclid on their way to Cleveland. It took the students double the time it normally takes as they carefully drove back to NDCL. In addition, many sporting teams on campus August 6th experienced the power outage. Throughout the week, NDCL events, such as Certified Peer Educator training, were canceled as NDCL remained in the dark. 

On August 8th, around 2pm, students received an exciting text message; the school year was getting pushed back a week! The NDCL faculty agreed that a change in the school year was needed to accommodate recovery from the storms. Students and staff alike had the opportunity to enjoy another week of break, spending their last week at the beach, with friends, or finishing summer work. Ironically, a blessing had come out of the storm after all.