An Update from President Tarhule – Storm Impact

The Office of the President distributed the following message to the campus community on August 14, 2026.

Redbird Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Yesterday, the Illinois State University campus and surrounding community sustained significant storm damage. The damage impacted our facilities, including power outages, flooding, downed trees, and nearby street closures. Fortunately, we have received no reports of significant injuries on campus.

I have visited several impacted sites and have been impressed and genuinely moved by the spirit of resiliency that I saw in students, staff, and families. Following the restoration of power to campus last night, the University's Damage Assessment Teams worked late into the night to assess campus facilities and operations. They will continue to work to cleanup campus through the weekend. Please avoid damaged areas for your safety and to allow space for crews to remove debris.

As remediation continues today, I'd like to recognize and say thank you to the many employees who have helped ensure our campus community's safety and that our learning spaces are ready for students and faculty on Monday. I also want to acknowledge that as our employees are working to support our campus community, they may also be navigating significant damage to their own homes as well as various other disruptions caused by yesterday's storm. Thank you for your compassion, dedication, and continued support of our campus community during this difficult time.

I am also thankful to students and families for their patience during the interruption of Move-In and Welcome Week activities. Move-In resumed this morning and staff and volunteers are ready to assist our remaining students with their arrival to campus.

It's warming up this afternoon and tomorrow. I recognize that many students living off campus remain without power. The Ameren Community Outage Map is the best place to monitor for updates. All students are encouraged to visit locations on campus during normal business hours to cool down and charge up. The Bone Student Center, Redbird Game Complex, Student Fitness Center, Milner Library, and dining centers are open today. Phone charger stations are available in the Bone Student Center.

I look forward to welcoming students to campus over the weekend as we prepare for the first day of classes on Monday.

With Redbird pride,

Aondover Tarhule, Ph.D.
President, Illinois State University