How It Was . . . Remember the Blizzard of March 2, 1980, at ECU.
Article regarding the snowstorm of 1980. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.
Citation for this article is "How It Was . . . Remember the Blizzard of March 2, 1980, at ECU," Pieces of Eight, Vol. 2, No. 12, March 15, 1980.
The bulletin board in the lobby of Mendenhall Student Center read: "Today on Campus . . . Snow . . . No Classes." Classes at ECU were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday, March 3 and 4, and the University slowly struggled back to normal on following days while as much as 20 inches of snow and frozen stuff melted.
The "blizzard" which struck the area on March 2 forced a total closing of ECU the next day. "I can't remember the University closing down before," said Vice Chancellor-Business Affairs C.G. Moore. "We had a big ice storm back in the 60s, but I don't think we closed down even then."
Mrs. Agnes Barrett, long-time administrative assistant, recalled that classes were cancelled because of damage from Hurricane Hazel in October 1954. That was wind and water damage.
The blizzard of March 2 paralyzed Eastern North Carolina with as much as 20 to 25 inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain and high winds that whipped up three- to four-foot drifts.
"We couldn't have done anything without four-wheel drive vehicles," said Joe Calder, ECU Director of Security. "All of our regular vehicles were snowed in. We borrowed a couple of the Geology Department trucks," Calder said. Others pitched in. A freshman student, Allen Tingle, volunteered his Jeep for emergency trips, such as taking sick students to the infirmary. They ran out of bread and milk and other staples at the campus cafeteria and snack bar and at nearby convenience stores. Pitt Memorial Hospital ran short of blood and there was an appeal for donors. The Post Office suspended service. Newspapers were late.
Snowbound insofar as vehicular traffic was concerned, some students, faculty, and staff found plenty to do -- shoveling snow, for example. Some students with shovels walked from house to house in residential neighborhoods offering to shovel walks and drives.
Some students stationed themselves near the icy drifts at street intersections to help the occasional motorists make it through. Many ECU people, however, were virtually marooned. Cars and trucks were stranded all over the area. It was estimated that 3,000 ECU students were more or less stranded in the campus area. They frolicked on the snow-covered hills and streets. Jim Westmoreland, men's residence counselor at Scott Dorm, reported few problems. The cafeteria was serving hamburgers on muffins or French bread. A hot dog on a weiner bun was not to be found.
"We had no deliveries of bread or milk for a few days," said Ira Simon, spokesman for Servomation. Shelves of nearby convenience stores were wiped clean of bread, milk, cakes, cookies, and the like.
On Tuesday, University officials waited until a forecast of rising termperatures to decide to resume classes on Wednesday. A great deal of snow remained -- even more melting slush. Slowly, however, things returned to normal. One instructor reported four of his fourteen students made it to class on Wednesday.
"It could have been worse," said another professor wryly. "It could have come during spring break."
Most ECU people took it all in stride, although astonished. Student Bonnie Hall of Rich Square was taking pictures of the snow-covered landscape.
"I'm going to send pictures to my aunt who went to school here," she said. "She'll never believe that there is this much snow in Greenville."
