Lights Out (Yearbook Article)
After stretching and warming up, sophomore Kamryn Holland prepared to run mile repeats, running a mile with a one minute break, then running a mile again. Usually, Holland's cross country practices were after school, but this one was held mid-day.
The night before, students took cover in their storm shelters. They thought that nights of listening to the weathermans' warnings about tornados and flooding were well in the past, for a few more months, at least. Students were proven wrong, though, when their electricity started flickering and their cell phones beeped due to flash flood warnings. Expecting a night filled with hail, rain, and wind, students went to bed dreading the conditions of the roads in the morning.
However, students were met with a surprise the next day when they learned that they didn't have to go to school. All of the schools in the Piedmont district were cancelled for August 26th, due to the multiple power outages plaguing the buildings. "It was a bad storm but at least the school didn't flood this time," Asher Gragg said.
Sadly, the storm had not only affected the schools. Students' homes, as well, had damaged property. "The house was untouched but there were over 250 giant trees that were scattered everywhere and broken," Sydney Tolentino said.
Moreover, students were literally left in the dark when power lines were damaged by the harsh wind. Sophomore Ava Humphries' house went without power for over 48 hours. "I couldn't straighten my hair, charge my computer or phone, and I am scared of the dark," Humphries said. "It was awful."
Despite the power being out, coaches still took advantage of the day off. They profitted off the school cancelation by having athletes continue to practice. Cross country runners and football players still held their practices to ready themselves for future games and meets. "Obviously sleeping in is the more preferred choice, but when you get out there with your team and it's the heart of the season, it's worth it," Holland said.
