Tropical Storm Floyd brings deluge of calls
Archived article from Oct 1, 1999
By Douglas Frank
Tropical Storm Floyd did more than pour some seven inches of rain on Rutgers and its environs. The storm also led to a flood of people seeking information through the university's phone services and Web site.
Calls to Campus Information Services, ext. 2-INFO, from Thursday, Sept. 16, through Monday, Sept. 20, totaled 27,369. On Thursday, a total of 9,779 calls came in, breaking the old daily record of 5,463 for a snow emergency several years ago. The record was broken again Friday with 10,695 calls. The queries were handled by some 70 student information personnel, who put in extra hours during the crisis.
"The heart and soul of our operation are the outstanding students, whose commitment and devotion came through in this emergency," observed Matt Weismantel, university director of Campus Information Services. He plans to mark the historic moment with a plaque containing the names of the students.
The Rutgers Daily News Web site, maintained by the Office of University Relations, drew some 15,000 hits for closing information on Thursday and Friday. Two other information sources were also busy during the period: Rutgers INFO Radio, 530 on the AM dial, and the weather hotline, ext. 2-7799, provided updates on campus closings.
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