Moravian College evacuates dormitories due to power outage in center city Bethlehem

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

Moravian College evacuated much of its Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus at 5 this afternoon at Main and Church streets in Bethlehem, according to a posting on its website.

Main, Hill and Clewell residence halls have been emptied and the college will advise students when it is safe to return, according to the website.

College spokesman Michael Wilson said about 300 of the college's 1,600 students live in those residence halls, where power was out for about five hours during Saturday's storm. Electricity was restored but intermittent, he said, but went off again today. PPL Electric Utilities told the college the power will be off at least until Monday and could be out into Tuesday, Wilson said.

Without power, Wilson said, the buildings have no heat.

Evacuees are being given three options, Wilson said:

Go home
Find a friend of the Main Street campus
Be relocated to "overflow housing" on or near campus for the duration.
Classes on Monday have been delayed for two hours, Wilson said.

DeSales University has canceled classes for Monday, according to its website and is encouraging students to go home. Non-essential employees are instructed to stay home on Monday.

Lehigh University evacuated its residence halls, fraternities and sororities this afternoon after a power outage. Classes there were canceled for Monday.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2011/10/moravian_college_evacuates_dor.html