Zachary Worstell
zdw001@marietta.edu
Updated: 3:00 p.m. Saturday April 5th
Turn around, don’t drown! The Mid-Ohio Valley area has been facing high waters over the past few days due to heavy rainfall. Flooding has been affecting areas all along the Ohio River from Pittsburgh to Pomeroy. In Marietta, the Ohio River crests at 40.5 feet and the Muskingum River crests as 34.74 feet which is a new all-time record. The previous record was 33.2 feet.
On Thursday, Marietta College helped local businesses and the rest of the community during the flood. Dr. Perry, Dr. Elliot, and Dr. Nulton raised awareness to the McDonough Leadership Program about helping the community prepare for the flood by volunteering to transport goods and safely move valuables. Freshmen Colin Campagne led the student effort and went downtown and helped the local businesses shore up their storefronts.
Marietta College has responded to the flooding in a timely manner as they have kept all students safe. Marietta has closed down the freshmen loop, the Hermann Parking Lot, Don Drumm parking, and fourth street parking. The cover photo shows the Hermann parking lot’s condition as of 8:00 p.m. on Thursday. Alternative parking has been made available at the Church St. parking lot and the Marietta Elementary School. On Friday, Butler Street, The Gathering Place, PA parking, and Fayerweather Parking have been closed.
Furthermore, residents in the Pioneer House (Lambda Chi Alpha), the Dr. Barbara Diggs Lyles House, and the Hopewell House (Alpha Sigma Phi), have been temporarily relocated to alterative housing on campus until further notice. These residents had moved their furniture to higher ground and evacuated their dormitories on Wednesday.
Everything from the first floor of the Lindamood-VanVoorhis Boathouse had been removed as well as everything in the tunnel of Don Drumm Stadium. Tarps have been placed on the stadium’s field as well as the Marietta soccer field to protect the playing surface.
Classes have met as scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday however were cancelled on Friday due to the increased water levels. Commuter students’ absences have been forgiven. All dining options, the Legacy Library, and the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center are still open. Although, events such as the Lambda Chi Alpha Golf Scramble Philanthropy event, Greek Weekend and the IFC Battleaxe competition have been postponed due to the flooding. Furthermore, the softball and tennis matchups this weekend have been postponed with no make-up date announced. The baseball doubleheader against Baldwin Wallace is still scheduled for Saturday at Don and Sue Schaly Field.
Currently the National Weather Service is predicting the Ohio River crests to peak on Friday April 5th and subside to a minor flood of 35 feet by Saturday afternoon. By Sunday, the National Weather Service believes the crests will fall to a safer 29 feet and slowly continue back down. Marietta College is monitoring the forecast closely and are doing their best to keep everyone safe.
For more information and updated photographs of the flooding check Marietta College’s Facebook page @Marietta College.
