BYU–Idaho Swamped Week Before Finals
Contributed By Jace Whatcott, Church News staff writer
Flash floods covered Rexburg on Tuesday, July 15, putting hundreds of students out of their apartments.
Article Highlights
- The Brigham Young University–Idaho campus in Rexburg, Idaho, was hit by a rainstorm on July 15 that dropped almost two inches in 40 minutes.
- Damage was caused to buildings on campus, and 12 off-campus apartment complexes were affected by the storm, forcing 230 students to find another place to stay temporarily.
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REXBURG, IDAHO
With finals week quickly approaching and the semester coming to an end, there were very few students at Brigham Young University–Idaho who thought that they would have to swim to the testing center in order to take their tests.
The Brigham Young University–Idaho campus in Rexburg, Idaho, was hit by a rainstorm on July 15 that dropped almost two inches in 40 minutes.
Floodwaters caused some sort of damage to two-thirds of the buildings on campus, the most extensive damage being caused to the Joseph Fielding Smith Building.
Despite the extensive flooding and damage on campus, classes were held the next day.
The testing center in the Hyrum Manwaring Student Center was fully functional, causing no delays during finals week.
In addition to the damage that was caused to buildings on campus, 12 off-campus apartment complexes were affected by the storm, forcing 230 students to find another place to stay temporarily. The Housing and Student Living Office on campus worked with the 12 apartment managers to find places for the students to stay for the remaining week of the semester.
Marc Stevens, media relations and campus communication manager at BYU–Idaho, said that it will take weeks for a full cleanup. “An upside is that it’s at the end of the semester; we’ve got seven weeks in the summer semester to handle the situation.”
As part of BYU–Idaho’s emergency plan, the BYU–Idaho Center was opened to students and members of the community if their living conditions were deplorable. Six community members stayed temporarily but found other living arrangements before the evening.
Flash floods covered Rexburg on Tuesday, July 15, putting hundreds of students out of their apartments. Photo by Lauren Robinson.
Flash floods covered Rexburg on Tuesday, July 15, putting hundreds of students out of their apartments. Photo by Haley Lucas.
Flash floods covered Rexburg on Tuesday, July 15, putting hundreds of students out of their apartments. Photo by Lauren Robinson.
Flash floods covered Rexburg on Tuesday, July 15, putting hundreds of students out of their apartments. Photo by Haley Lucas.
Flash floods covered Rexburg on Tuesday, July 15, putting hundreds of students out of their apartments. Photo by Lauren Robinson.
