Flooding threatens Student Apartments
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Flooding took place around the Student Apartments with the recent rainfall. This handshot footage shows the flooding in the creek behind the residence area.. (Ethan Vaughan)
The creek on Mason’s Fairfax Campus between Student Apartments and the RAC rose out of its bed Thursday afternoon, leaving residents frightened as walkways and bridges were submerged and floodwaters advanced to within inches of the residences. It was the second day in a row that the area had flooded.
With heavy rain expected to continue throughout the week, the university set up sandbags to try to keep the low-lying Student Apartments dry.
Some students were still anxious.
“At one point [the water] was literally touching the sidewalk,” said David Jean, a sophomore IT major and first-floor resident. “The only thing keeping it out was a two-by-four piece of wood. I have a four-digit computer, in terms of cost; an Xbox, a PlayStation 3, and it’s all on the floor. If even a little bit of water gets in I’m out a lot of money.”
The university had no immediate plans to cancel classes despite flooding that left some roads in Fairfax County underwater and rendered Patriot Circle impassable for an hour Thursday.
Jean said he was skipping class whether the university decided to cancel sessions or not.
“I’m not going to class,” he said. “I’m here worrying about my room. If the sewer grate had gotten covered with a couple more leaves, our neighbors’ room would have flooded.”
Jean’s roommate, senior graphic design major Chris Sullivan, agreed.
“I’m worried,” Sullivan said. “The university should protect us out here. If it gets too bad we’ll pile stuff up on the furniture, mount it all up on the bed.”
Not everyone greeted the sight of the rising water with alarm. Eric Schlein, a junior double majoring in theater and psychology, snapped on a pair of goggles and jumped into the current fully clothed.
“There’s a giant pool of water there where there wasn’t one before,” Schlein explained. “I’m not going to let it sit there. How many times in my Mason life will I have this opportunity?”
“It’s awesome,” he added.
Chris Rudricky, a junior psychology major, took the opportunity of the flood to strip down to his shorts and go for a run. Amidst the fun, he was still surprised at how quickly the creek overflowed.
“It’s pretty strong,” he said. “Before it got really bad I went to take pictures near the bridge, and when I walked up the stairs and turned around the place I’d been standing in was ankle-deep in water.”
University police, who responded to resident reports of flooding in dorm rooms, urged students to stay out of the water.
“The current is strong,” said Officer John Arnold. “A person could fall in, get washed downstream and hit a tree and they’re done. We’re here to keep people safe.”
David Chiao, a resident adviser, noted that the Student Apartments were in an especially vulnerable position.
“It’s at such a low elevation and the creek is right behind us,” he said. “If it really floods they’ll have to evacuate. This is worse than anything I’ve ever seen.”
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