Around 11 p.m. on January 10, students in Sullivan Hall were told to evacuate due to flooding caused by a burst pipe. Students were also evacuated from the nearby Lee Hall and were directed to stay in Bragaw Hall until it was safe to return.
Students waited outside of their dorms for nearly an hour, in 31 degree weather with freshly fallen snow still outside. They were advised to stay in Bragaw Hall temporarily or with a friend at a safe location.
The evacuation was caused by a sprinkler pipe bursting in suite 302 of Sullivan, spraying murky water into the suite, as well as into suites 301, 303 and the below 201, 202 and 203.
The Nubian Message interviewed Rahina Rashid, a third-semester Resident Advisor (RA) working in Sullivan Hall and a fourth-year student in industrial systems engineering, to recount what happened during the night of the flood.
When the alarms sounded, Rashid and other RAs received an email informing everyone to evacuate. Rashid was also affected by this flood, but prioritized the needs of her residents. Later that night, the majority of Sullivan Hall residents could return to their dorms, except those six most affected by flooding– suites 301-303 and 201-203.
Of the second-floor dorms, suite 202 took the longest to approve for the resident’s return. There was water damage in rooms C and D, which, according to Rashid, “came in through the light fixtures onto their carpets.” The bathroom in suite 202 had standing water and was not approved for use by the residents.
Suite 302 suffered the most damage. The room had “at least an inch of standing water,” according to Rashid. She mentioned that the 301-303 suites were more affected than the 201-203 suites, though all of them had notable damages.
Considering the events of the flooding, Rahina said, “[A flood in Sullivan Hall] happened last year and you think they would be a little more prepared for it … with these old buildings you have to hope for the best … they never expect for so many people to be displaced at once.”
Rashid also explained that the RAs on duty “made sure everyone had a place to go, whether it was with family, a friend, or temporary housing,” and contacted the professional staff on call to assist with this process.
Rashid and others transported the soaked possessions of Sullivan residents to Lee Hall, where they could dry out and be cleaned.
Rashid noted how hectic the process was, particularly amid the weather. She said, “You have to find places for people to sleep and make sure people have a way to get there and make sure you’re getting those keys cut, especially when it’s snowing, at the drop of a dime in the middle of the night.”
The next day, once the rooms were cleared, Rashid was able to go back into her suite, still unable to use their bathroom. More affected residents returned at a later time, or came to collect their belongings and move to temporary housing.
Reflecting on the flooding and evacuation of Sullivan and Lee, Rashid acknowledges that the RAs go through training to prepare for these very situations. She says, “When you sign up for that job you naturally want to take on [a helping] role … I’ve always enjoyed being an RA, it just makes me think I need to be a little more prepared for these things to happen.”
