BY BRENDAN CAPUANO & EVAN DENNY
Managing Editor & News Editor
Phones buzzed with alerts mid-afternoon on Tuesday, Sept. 25, as people were made aware of flood warnings. Heavy and consistent rainfall contributed to flooding throughout Fairfield County.
At 2:24 p.m., the City of Bridgeport, Bridgeport Police, and Bridgeport Fire Department said, “There are many flooded streets and flash flooding. Do NOT attempt to drive down flooded roads. If you can, stay safe & off the roads. #floods #safety.”
By 7:44 p.m., students at Sacred Heart University were made aware of the floods by an emergency announcement from the Department of Public Safety. They said the torrential downpours affected the main campus and the surrounding areas.
“At this time, Campus Operations is extracting water from several affected areas, which are now closed,” said the notice from Public Safety.
“According to the city’s Emergency Operations Center, rain was falling at a rate of about 2 to 3 inches per hour between around 3:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.,” said the CT Post.
The first floor of Thomas Aquinas Hall in Scholars Commons is one of the areas that experienced flooding.
“The suites on the first floor of building two [Thomas Aquinas Hall] had to be evacuated for the night,” said sophomore Michael Zawadzki, Residential Success Assistant at Scholars Commons.
Residents whose suites were affected opted to stay with friends on campus.
The flood waters affected the basement under the main academic building with the office of student accounts being affected by the flood.
Red’s Pub closed Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. and remained closed until Monday, Oct. 1.
The Schine Auditorium had to reschedule the TEDx talks which were planned for the following day, with the Schine’s front stage being blocked by flood waters. Classes normally held in the Schine were also relocated.
Campus Quad resembled more of a pond installation than the grassy field.
Off-campus students and faculty were affected as well.
“I was at work in Stamford and I looked out the window at the employee parking lot and the water was up to my headlights,” said senior Jacob Masco. “My car was flooded and is now totaled, sitting in a junkyard.”
