When Hurricane Ida arrived in Cresskill in September 2021, Cresskill High School students didn’t expect their first day of in-person school to be delayed by a year. This unfortunate event, was, in all likelihood, a direct result of global warming. As the ocean became warmer throughout the past few years, it increased atmospheric water vapor near the United States. The dense air fueled Ida to grow stronger and travel north to eventually reach Cresskill, New Jersey.

While the entire town was ravaged by heavy flooding, the school suffered major damage. The auditorium seats and the media room were fully submerged, but the worst challenge was the irreversible damage in the boiler room and ventilation system. It required $21 million from the state government and the 2021-2022 school year to replace the compromised equipment.

Ida’s impact on the school building and the community caused students to realize the severity of climate change. While Cresskill students previously perceived climate change as abstract because they were physically distanced from its consequences, Ida’s events stimulated discussion among students around the ramifications of climate change. Abigail Kim, a freshman at Cresskill High School, believes that experiencing Ida changed her perception of climate change. She says, “Ever since I experienced [climate change] firsthand and it impacted my education and caused an inconvenience in my life, I understand how severe [climate change] is.”

After experiencing the last year, Cresskill Middle and High School students created clubs to fundraise for climate change related disasters. This disaster prompted the students to take action in order to raise the funds to support the flood recovery process. Another freshman at Cresskill High School also agrees that they joined fundraisers because the club was raising money for their own school. “I wouldn’t have fundraised if this happened in a different town.” Many people find it difficult to understand the magnitude of climate change when they’re separated from climate catastrophes, impeding them from feeling a sense of urgency to prevent future disasters. Cresskill students attempted to contribute to the restoration by volunteering to help clean or organize the school after the flood, however the school administrators concluded that the damage was too hazardous for students to enter the building at the time.

Hurricane Ida also caused “eco grief”, hopelessness about climate change and climate related disasters, among students. Some felt hopeless about the school’s reparation process and feared another disaster happening in the future and damaging the building once again. Many students reported that they couldn’t imagine their return to school after the long recovery process. Similarly, others suggested the most significant part of Ida was the mental exhaustion it induced.

During the first week of October, Hurricane Ian caused heavy rainfall near the school building. Several students were fearful of the school getting flooded again and cautiously watched as rain poured outside. Heavy rainfall will become inevitable in the coming years, but by sparking discourse about climate change and taking action, Cresskill students are hoping to help prevent worse consequences from occurring in the future.