When your entire school is flooded, where's the first place you go?

[Twilight_Overlord]

The internets.

I'm smack in the middle of the heavy rains going on in the Northeast. One of the roads, between the post office and the art building totally collapsed, and there's a waterfall there now. The basement of the library, where my humanities class is, is submerged (yay!). It's so bad, students are not allowed to leave the dorms, or face disciplinary action. One bridge, going to the hockey center, is completely gone, and two faculty member's cars are gone.

But at least there's no class for at least a day.

!UPDATE!

Here is an email sent yesterday, at 2:50 PM, EST.

Dear St. Paul's Community,

I am writing to you to provide an update on the current situation regarding flooding on the School grounds.

1) I want to reinforce the importance of remaining in your houses and faculty residences. It is imperative for your safety to resist the temptation to walk the grounds to survey or photograph the flooding. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services has made us aware of the very real danger that sudden erosion may occur around the School's dams and bridges.

2) Residents of Simpson, Ford, Manville, Brewster and Warren should only use Dunbarton Road (the road in front of the Athletic Fitness Center) and Sawmill Road (the road that goes to the Astronomy Center) when traveling to and from Coit for a meal. Please be careful while walking on this road.

3) Students living in Armour, Foster, Middle and Conover/20 will now eat in Memorial Hall (which has power) instead of the Tuck Shop. Please avoid any moving water.

4) Our greatest concern at the moment concerns our sewer system. As I mentioned to you this morning, it is very important to conserve water, so that we do not overburden the sewage pumps. Very shortly portable toilets will be arriving at each house. It is very important that you use these toilets, so that we can prevent a breakdown of the sewage system.

5) Again, I would like to emphasize how important it is for you to remain in your House. The only reasons you should leave your House are to eat or you use the portable toilet.

6) I will email you again at 5:00 PM with another update.

Finally, I want to thank you for your patience and cooperation in dealing with this inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Bill Matthews

Here is the one sent 5:00 P.M.

Dear St. Paul's Community,

Here is the latest information regarding the flooding of the School grounds.

1) There will be no Chapel service tomorrow morning.

2) There will be no classes tomorrow.

3) Students who have safety or health related concerns should seek the counsel of their Head of House or an in-House adviser.

4) Heads of House will escort their houses to dinner this evening.

5) Breakfast will be served from 9-10:30 tomorrow morning.

6) I strongly encourage you to contact your parents this evening to tell them that you are safe and to say Happy Mother's Day.

7) I will email you again at 9:00 PM with another update.

Again, thank you for your cooperation and patience.

Sincerely,

Bill Matthews


The next, later that night:

Dear St. Paul's Community,

Here is the latest information regarding the flooding of the School grounds.

1) As a precaution, we have moved students from lower lying houses into houses and facilities on higher ground. More specifically, we have moved students from Kit III and Con/20 to faculty apartments, Kitt II to Middle, Kitt I to Armour, Nash to Foster, Brewster and Ford to Kehaya, and Manville and Simpson to the Athletic and Fitness Center.

2) Again, it is very important that everyone remain in his/her designated residence tonight. We will be fine if we do that.

3) There is a command center that will be in operation all night. If you have an emergency, please call 229-4807 or 229-4814.

4) I will email you with another update at 8:30 in the morning.

Finally, I want to thank you again for your help, cooperation and patience during this trying time. Sleep well.

Sincerely,

Bill Matthews

And the one this morning.

Dear St. Paul's Community,

Here is the latest information regarding the flooding.

1) We have begun the process of transporting by bus everyone, including faculty, who is currently on the Coit side of the grounds (those living in Warren, the Athletic Fitness Center, Kehaya, the Coit houses and Drury) to Memorial Hall. We are doing this because of concerns about the flooding of Silk Farm Road.

2) Students and faculty moving from the Coit side of the grounds to Memorial Hall should return to their dorm rooms and homes and gather belongings necessary for travel (wallets, passports and small valuables). STUDENTS SHOULD ONLY RETURN TO THEIR HOUSES WITH A FACULTY MEMBER.

3) Red mini-buses and Concord Trailways buses will pick-up students and faculty at their current locations (the Athletic Fitness Center, Warren, Kehaya, Drury and the Coit houses).

4) We have also had to shut down the sewage pumping station, so please use the portable toilets.

5) While there is no imminent danger, the damage from the flooding has been extensive and we are in the process of making arrangements to send all students home. I want to emphasize that there is no immediate danger. If you are having a hard time reaching your parents we will take care of you.

6) I will email you again with another update at 10:30 this morning.

More than ever, I am grateful for and proud of your patience and cooperation during this difficuly time.

Sincerely,

Bill Matthews

This has been a crazy weekend. The Kitt dorms are submergeds, my dorm is at risk, and to top it off, we're so screwed, they called off the school year. So I'm officially a sophomore. I'm going home tommorow, and we'll see how this plays out. I'm extremely upset about closing the school for the rest of the academic year, and I hope we can fix things up. Thank you all for your support during this tumultuious(sp?) time.