By: Zak Landrum, Senior Director of Advancement Services at Westmont College
In 2017 and 2018, Westmont College experienced back-to-back natural disasters. The Thomas Fire, which started 40 miles from Westmont’s campus in Montecito, churned ahead of firefighters as it worked its way up the California coast, eventually becoming the largest in California history. The devastating fire caused weeks of voluntary, then mandatory, campus dislocation.
Two weeks after the fire, Montecito collapsed into mudslides just a quarter of a mile from campus. This event, combined with a heavy season of rain, led to several mandatory evacuations that semester.
Jump ahead a few years to 2020, and COVID-19 has not only disrupted Westmont, but the entire globe. We’re applying lessons learned in those 2017 and 2018 natural disasters that are helping us, and hopefully others, today.
Regular Communication Builds Trust
After the Thomas Fire and subsequent mudslide evacuations, Westmont posted updates
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