By Matthew Parris
Some buildings on campus are still drying out after Nashville received a record 4 inches of rain on Feb. 6.
The Tartar Student Activity Center gym, the Bud Robinson building, and the Tidwell building were all flooded. According to Greg Dawson, captain of university security and director of emergency management.
According to the Nashville Weather Service, the 4 inches of rain surpassed the daily rainfall record for Feb. 6, which was only 1.73 inches, set in 1884. The rain caused flash floods, leading to numerous water rescues and one death in the Nashville area.
David Caldwell, executive vice president for finance and administration, said flooding is expected in some areas of campus.
“Unfortunately any time we have significant rainfall some of our facilities will have moisture come in either due to entrances being below grade or because the structure itself is below grade,” said Caldwell.
Now, in those buildings affected, special dehumidifiers and industrial fans are scattered across the floors to dry out the water. Additionally, extra drains have been added by plant operations, who will also remove the pine straw surrounding TSAC and add river rock to protect from further damage.
“It will help,” said Glen Linthicum, director of plant operations. “The pine straw has a tendency to get washed down with the rain leading to clogged drains.”
Linthicum also said that roof repairs made on several buildings on campus in prior weeks, including Martin and the girls apartments, protected from further water intrusion.
Both Linthicum and Caldwell said there were no significant damages.
The night also included tornado warnings for the Nashville area.
When Trevecca’s safety alarm went off a little after 8 p.m., students packed into the bottom floors of their dorms or whatever other buildings they found themselves in for safety.
Many students, such as freshman Rachel Thompson, packed into the IRC at the bottom floor of the library.
“Normally, the IRC is really quiet,” she said. “But all of a sudden, there are about 80 plus people in there, I’m sure. Some people were making panic calls to their parents, I distinctly remember one person . . . was on the phone assuring her parents she was fine.”
Some students went to the flooded quad and began swimming in the newly formed pool.
