Cabot Recovers After Flood

As Cabot House works to recover from an unexpected flood last Friday, some student residents say that what was initially a weak response from the College has improved to offer affected students more extensive support.

The flood, in the south end of Cabot’s Briggs Hall, began at about 3:15 on Friday morning, when the plumbing on a toilet in room C-43 broke away from the water pipe on the wall. Although students called authorities, including House Master Jay Harris and Building Manager Gene Ketelhohn, shortly after the incident, recovery efforts by the HUPD and emergency construction crews did not begin until 30 minutes after the initial call, students said.

“Honestly, the immediate response was awful,” said Aditya H. Sanghvi ’06, whose common room was damaged. “But after the emergency evacuation, the house master, tutor and the new dean of residential life did a phenomenal job.”

Dina B. Mishra ’06, whose roommate’s ceiling fell, said she could understand why immediate recovery efforts would be challenging.

“At first it was uncoordinated, but many things were out of the College’s control,” said Mishra. “It could have been faster and better, but it’s difficult to evacuate everyone at 3 a.m.”

Many of the 80 or so evacuated students stayed in the House’s dining hall and junior common room while the initial cleanup began. They were able to return temporarily to their rooms later that morning in order to gather belongings that they needed for class. Crews worked throughout the day to clean up the building, remove damaged ceilings, check the electrical systems and alarms, and install the dehumidification systems to begin clearing away the wetness, according to Senior Tutor Stephen Kargère.

Although the students were allowed to return to their rooms permanently by the end of the day, many said they were irked by the debris and drying equipment that remained.

“We could technically move in anytime, but the loud fans, plaster, and dust made it inconvenient and uncomfortable,” said Mishra.

Two students, in fact, began having breathing problems because of the dust, Nichele M. McClendon ’06 said.

Responding to student complaints, the College offered any students affected by the flood the option to move into temporary housing throughout the Quad.

“My blockmates were hit harder, and their rooms were basically unlivable,” said McClendon, who had part of her ceiling cut out. “We begged the senior tutor to find us another room, but...it took them a while to figure out that some rooms were absolutely unlivable.”

Still, students said the House administration—Master Jay Harris, Dean of Residential Life Suzy Nelson, new to the position, and Kargère—were extremely helpful in facilitating recovery.

“The House master offered to host some students in his house,” said Sanghvi, “and Suzy Nelson was also extraordinarily nice, offering four singles in her Victorian house for students.”

Help also came from fellow students across the College, some of whom made accommodations for those who had been displaced by the flood.

On Monday, Nelson organized a community support meeting that included Kargère, Ketelhohn, and officials from the housing and physical resources offices. Their goal was to discuss housing accommodations, insurance, and student concerns—which Kargère later said he understood.

“I know it’s hard not to feel angry or want to place blame on someone or something, and it’s true that in hindsight things could always have been handled better,” said Kargere. “But at this stage, it’s clear that both students and responders did their very best to handle a difficult situation.”

The drying process is expected to continue until the end of the week, and the ceilings will most likely be reinstalled next week.