Flooding in Nashville affects campus and students

Flooding in Nashville affects campus and students

by | May 3, 2010 | News Slider

Click to expand the video player. Record rainfalls and major flooding in Nashville left over 20,000 buildings without power and hundreds of families unable to leave or get to their homes. Lipscomb’s campus escaped major damage from the flooding and opened its facilities to the Red Cross as a shelter for displaced families and their pets. Tom Wood, director of campus enhancement, said that the campus fared very well compared to other places in Middle Tennessee. “I’m proud of the old girl,” Wood said of Lipscomb’s campus. “I’d say we have about a week’s worth of restoration to do, maybe two weeks at the most. There was minor damage done to the first levels of McFarland, the Bennett Campus Center and Burton, and the basements of Sewell and Elam were flooded as well.” While Lipscomb’s campus  survived the flood of May 2010, other cities in the Middle Tennessee area suffered from severe flooding and lost cars, homes and businesses. Nashville’s one-day rainfall record set in 1979 was replaced with 7.25 inches this weekend, and the two-day record is now 13.53 inches. The record was broken for the wettest May in recorded history just two days into the month, and May 2010 is already the fifth wettest month in recorded history as well. Before the weekend of rain and overflowing tributaries, the Cumberland River was at 19 feet deep. As of Monday, May 3, the water level was at 52.5 feet, more than 11 feet over the flood level. While the minor damage at Lipscomb is going to cost in excess of $100,000 in repairs, Wood said that he is...
Red Cross shelter in student activities center

Red Cross shelter in student activities center

by | May 2, 2010 | News Slider

Click to expand the video player. SAC (LTV) – Cots are not items usually found in the Student Activities Center.  But when the Red Cross calls, Lipscomb responds. The heavy rain and thunderstorms last night led to severe flooding across Middle Tennesee, and the Red Cross immediately responded with several shelters, one right here on campus. The SAC is set up with sleeping areas for families, single males, single females and the elderly.  Volunteers brought in snacks and drinks with the intention of staying all night. Lipscomb University is the only shelter set up in Davidson County, and the SAC is equipped for several hundred people. Tim Temple, a Red Cross Volunteer from Nashville, was headed out of town but quickly changed his plans. “They called all of us and said ‘Be ready,'” he said. The Red Cross works with churches, recreation centers and schools to set up shelters.  He said that Lipscomb and the Red Cross had an agreement ahead of time, so the university was on the emergency shelter list. Hurricane Gustav two years ago was Lipscomb’s first experience with the Red Cross.  Lipscomb housed people for a week in the SAC and McQuiddy.  So faculty, staff and students know the drill for working in an emergency. “It really is nice that people help us,” Temple said. The Red Cross contacted Lipscomb around 5:30 p.m., and within the hour volunteers were on site setting up the SAC and McQuiddy. Walt Leaver, a coordinator for the event, immediately contacted Mike Smith to get students involved. “It’s really pretty exciting, first of all, to see the way the Lipscomb...