They are asking that items be brought to the Huskie Bowl tomorrow. Got this off of facebook:


We will have tables taking donated items at Saturday's Communiversity Block Party prior to the Huskie Bowl to assist tornado victims in our local communities. See the release at NIUHuskies.com
for specific needs (and what is NOT needed) or for links to make monetary donations online. http://www.niuhuskies.com/sports/m-footb...015aab.htm

thanks for the info. The wife and I are putting together a care package. Glad the university is doing this. It just makes sense!

Not relating to the donations but to the tornado...received this mass e-mail from President Baker.


The northern Illinois region was hit Thursday evening by several tornadoes, causing extensive damage, injuries and loss of life. The towns of Fairdale, Kirkland, Rochelle and Flagg Center were hardest hit. Tornadoes also were confirmed near Dunlap and Cherry Valley.

Thursday’s weather event underscores the importance of having plans in place to be prepared for any emergency. It is a responsibility the university does not take lightly, and, in fact, is something for which the NIU Department of Police and Public Safety trains regularly.

Thursday’s weather situation was monitored throughout the day, and a tornado watch was issued for several Illinois counties. Although a tornado warning was not issued for DeKalb or the NIU campus, when NIU meteorologist Gilbert Sebenste identified a tornado west of DeKalb, the university began executing its plan. An emergency warning notification was queued up and ready to go in the event the weather approached campus.

Public safety officers were dispatched to each of the residence halls and the Holmes Student Center. At Stevenson and Grant towers and the HSC, they assisted with visual observation of the storm.

Fortunately, it was determined that the path of the tornadic storms was northeast of campus. The city did not activate its tornado sirens and campus emergency notification was not necessary. However, public safety officers remained in the residence halls with students to assist until the storm system moved through the area.

The university later received a request for aid from nearby Rochelle and Fairdale. With the campus secure, 10 Police and Public Safety personnel were dispatched to Rochelle to help establish a perimeter and to assist with traffic. DeKalb County requested a warming station and transportation for Fairdale victims and responders, and NIU was again able to respond with Huskie Safe Line vans as well as a 47-passenger bus.

Friday, the campus community showed what being a Huskie is all about. NIU meteorologists are assisting the National Weather Service in assessing the damage from the tornadoes. Volunteers are mobilizing to help with the cleanup if requested. Food and supplies are being collected by numerous campus groups, and NIU Police and Public Safety is assisting in the regional recovery effort in cooperation with IEMA authorities.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors and friends who lost so much. The campus community stands at the ready to provide the appropriate support and aid to the affected communities under the guidance and specifications of local public safety and disaster relief agencies.

Thank you to the many NIU campus community members who have volunteered to help our neighbors in the community in their time of need.

Forward Together,

Doug

Related to HuskieJohn's post from Dr. Baker, here is a really great article about the tornado & events from that night with some absolutely bone chilling pictures.

Since my son has his Meteorology degree, our family is very in tune with severe weather. I have met NIU staff meteorologist Gilbert. He does a really good job of keeping the campus informed.
Anyway, it's a bit of a long read but well worth it.

http://newsroom.niu.edu/2015/04/10/in-th...the-storm/

The Red Cross and Salvation Army are collecting money to help the tornado victims.

For those of you who would prefer to give directly to the communities (as I did), the Rochelle Area Foundation is collecting donations online. Here is the website:

Rochelle Area Foundation

Cameras in hand, faculty chase northern Illinois tornado

http://northernstar.info/campus/cameras-...1fc4b.html

"Cameras in hand, faculty chase northern Illinois tornado [out of the pocket]"

http://earthsky.org/earth/tornado-track-...n-illinois

Tornado track in northern Illinois

(04-15-2015 10:20 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  http://earthsky.org/earth/tornado-track-...n-illinois

Tornado track in northern Illinois

Interesting. Thanks for posting that, HuskieJohn.

I was expecting something like this but I happy to read how many of the football players and coaches went to help.

http://www.niuhuskies.com/sports/m-footb...15aab.html

(04-20-2015 09:44 AM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  I was expecting something like this but I happy to read how many of the football players and coaches went to help.

http://www.niuhuskies.com/sports/m-footb...15aab.html

This is what our team is about