What started out as a sunny day, quickly changed to gloomy skies and monsoon-like thunderstorms while 3,600 NIU students moved into the residence halls on August 18.

Anthony Ianno, a freshman industrial engineering major from Naperville, was one of many students who arrived at the residence hall at 9 a.m. before the good weather faded. Ianno said he was surprised he only had to wait 20 minutes before he got to unload his car.

“We got in right after the rain started the first time,” he said.

As the storm continued, parking lots and many roads quickly became small rivers of ankle-deep water. In light of the severe thunderstorm watch, which was in effect until 3 p.m., Douglas Hall provided free ponchos and refreshments inside for guests. Frantic movers took advantage of the ponchos – taking several at a time – while others resorted to making their own out of plastic bags.

While the storm had everyone scrambling to get their belongings out of the rain, the movers’ biggest concerns quickly became the electronics such as televisions and computers.

“Everyone got the electronics inside first, and everyone was helping each other because they understood [the situation],” said NI Guide Ciera Spencer, a sophomore science major. “It was just a really good show of teamwork out there.”

Stacks of clothing, furniture and bagged items toppled from the sidewalk onto the muddy grass as winds picked up.

“Someone’s bag broke while I was taking it inside, [but] I didn’t know whose bag it was, so I had to stuff it into another [bag],” Spencer said of her only real mishap.

With the thunder so loud that no one could hear people talking next to them, and the rain coming down in sheets, the efficiency of the process was only affected slightly.

“This is much less chaotic than moving my daughter in at Illinois State – I’m very, very impressed,” said Anthony’s mother, Denise Ianno.