Parts of the Coachella Valley were underwater last week as Hurricane Hilary, turned tropical storm, roared through the region. Valley residents found themselves unable to navigate roadways due to flooding and mudflows. Some neighborhoods were cut off from travel for several days.
With so many roads impassable and many areas reeling from flooding, Desert Sands Unified School District was closed on Monday, Aug. 20. While students have experienced school closures in the recent past, the district has not had to make the call to keep all schools closed due to weather, explained Mary Perry, public information officer for DSUSD.
In addition to flooding, the valley experienced extremely strong winds, toppling trees.
According to Dr. Dunn, 15 trees on campus were uprooted due to the wind. They’ve since been removed and discussions about replacing them are underway. Dr. Dunn credits the hard work of the custodial and groundskeeping crews for returning the Shadow Hills campus to a safe and clean condition.