Hurricane Ida battered the Gulf Coast and caused destruction for many MSMS students after making landfall as a category 4 hurricane in Louisiana on Aug. 29.

The tropical depression Mississippi experienced after Ida caused excessive rain and flooding, and more than 1 million people were left without power due to the harsh winds caused by the storm. 

“Hurricane Ida caused the Gulf of Mexico to rise, and the river by my house is connected, so my whole neighborhood got completely flooded,” senior Maddie Raynor said.

This is just one of the effects Ida had on MSMS students. 

“Ida brought in a lot of rain that softened up the ground. It opened up a sinkhole, causing a lot of devastation in my town,” junior Nora Courtney said.

Some students, including Raynor, said they were shocked by the damage caused by Ida — it was not expected to cause as much damage for Mississippians as it did. 

“I am so used to the storms and hurricanes, I thought nothing was going to happen,” Raynor said. “Ida did not worry me, until I heard about the aftermath it had on my home.” 

Hurricane Ida affected MSMS’s campus as well, as junior Lexi Holdiness explained.

“Our class schedule was affected after hearing the news about Ida coming onto land. We also got a large amount of flooding,” Holdiness said. 

Though the consequences for students’ campus and home life were different, Ida still had an impact on all. 

“The damage received here was not nearly as much, but it did cause a small bump in the road with all the flood waters,” Holdiness said.

Students encouraged one another to keep their heads up and help those whose livelihoods were damaged by the storm.

“In times like these, we just have to look on the bright side, and be thankful for what we do have, even if it is the smallest thing,” Raynor added.

Ida may have been a setback for most students living on the MSMS campus, but through coming together as a community, the MSMS family can help reassure those in need.

“It is devastating,” Courtney said, “and my heart goes out to the families and communities that lost anything or everything.”