July 15th, 2014: The Flood that Changed Everything

For some it was a blessing. For others it was an answer to a prayer. But for most it was a tragedy. No one expected the clouds that loomed overhead that evening would cause such a life-changing event, especially for those who contributed their stories to this article.

The rain that day persisted for 2-3 hours, gathering in the Birch Plaza and Baronnessa apartment complexes, as well as in  streets and houses In some areas it collected and rose between 4-6 feet. Apartment buildings, campus classrooms and lounges, computers, laptops, printers, valuable class notes: all waterlogged and destroyed. In the days and weeks following the incident, I had the privilege to interview some of the students that witnessed the flood and the damage firsthand. And these are their stories.

It’s Just a Little Rain…

One foot in front of the other. That’s all it would take and she was almost there. Alli Kenck stepped lively as she began to notice that the gunmetal gray clouds were dripping thick, heavy drops. The rain became more aggressive and consistent, and though it was only water, Alli knew that she needed to find shelter. It was only going to get worse.

With all of its fury, the sky unleashed a mighty force down upon her. She ran, squinting through sheets of rain at the building she was approaching. Fortunately, the doors were still unlocked and she was able to barricade herself inside against the elements.

Alli put her hands on her hips, panting and watching the rain fall through the tall, diaphanous windows. The sight was incredible. Rain mixed with hail like a devilish concoction that Mother Nature had brewed herself. An hour passed before the weather improved.

Alli gathered with a throng of waterlogged students as they collectively witnessed the water fall and rise, but each of them worried what they might find when they would finally step outside.

With a deep breath, the young woman stoically pushed the door open and walked slowly from the building. She was only a few feet out the door when her mouth fell agape, realizing how much damage had been done. The street and parking lot had completely filled with water and cars struggled to pull forward against the collecting rainfall. Across the street, students laughed and jumped in the water, splashing each other without realizing the extent of the damage.

Taking off her shoes and pulling up her skirt, Alli waded through the street, which had now become a makeshift river. She passed the carefree students, blinded by their comradery as she made her way back to her apartment.

Upon arriving at her complex, her fears became a reality: the whole bottom floor of her complex had been completely flooded.

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The BYU-Idaho student soon realized the severity of the situation and asked around if anyone needed help. Most of the people she encountered turned her down, but Alli soon ran into a group of students garnering support from individuals willing to serve. Many students, including Alli, came with buckets and empty garbage cans as an assembly line was formed to pull out water, one bucket at a time. Students and volunteers began singing Church hymns, adding to the uplifting spirit that was present and that influenced Alli.

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When inquiring about her reaction, Alli Kenck mentioned, “At BYUI, we have this thing called the Spirit of Ricks. It’s the love and bond we share as students. It’s the ability to be walking on campus and smile at someone you don’t know and they’ll smile back and ask you how you are. It’s what makes BYUI a special place.”

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She continued by adding, “It was so incredible to see us all working together and being true examples of Christ. I know that if Christ was in Rexburg, He would have been right out there with us. I love BYU Idaho so much… It was such a privileged to be there and help those who lost almost everything because of the flood.”

Alli returned to her apartment that day tired, relieved, and grateful. She had been so fortunate not to lose any of her personal belongings and had grown significantly by helping remove water from the apartments that had been affected. Alli was one of the individuals that was blessed but understood the severity of the disaster. Her perspective has definitely changed as she will no longer see the world in the same way again.

 Lucky

Marissa Rushton sat in the back seat of her roommate’s car, watching the windshield wipers swing monotonously back and forth. She looked at the digital clock on the dashboard, wondering if she would be able to make it to her meeting in time with the bishop.  Marissa glanced out the window, tucking her fist under her chin as she watched streams of water fold and roll down the sidewalk.

The car suddenly lurched, pulling her away from her dreamy stupor. Water rushed and pulled the tires of her roommate’s car, pushing against the momentum of the vehicle.Her roommate pressed the gas pedal to the floor, the tires futilely spinning. With some force and silent hopes, the car finally gained traction.   Everyone in the car exhaled in relief, but their adventure had only begun.

Putting the car in park, Marissa and her roommates filed out of the vehicle and ran towards the Ricks building where her meeting was being conducted. They covered their heads and stayed low, trying to avoid the rain as it pelted them.Water rose quickly around their feet as they neared the door. But as they pulled on it to open, they found that a resistance met their force.

Looking up, Marissa saw stern faces through the foggy glass doors, shaking their heads,  mouthing and pointing at the increasingly deep water that had gathered around their ankles. She suddenly understood: if they let her and her roommates in the building would flood. Marissa pursed her lips, yelling to her roommates that they needed to get back to the car.

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A sigh came from the driver’s seat and a click could be heard as Marissa’s roommate put the car into reverse. Marissa pulled herself forward and glanced out the windshield: the roundabout, their only way back to their apartment, had been completely flooded. The girls parked in a nearby lot and proceeded to walk home.  As they approached the first floor of her apartment complex, the girls saw how serious the situation was. Marissa noted, “Couches and refrigerators were floating and there were a ton of people that had come to help. They were in the water handing things out to be taken to higher levels.”

Marissa, just like Alli had done, helped pull waterlogged possessions out of the flooded apartments.  Jumping into the water, which reached her ribs, Marissa sucked in through her teeth as her body temperature plummeted. The large hailstones caused the water to cool despite the warm temperatures.  After a few hours of constant assistance, Marissa glanced at one of her friends who had joined the team of students and saw that he was visibly shaking and showing signs of hypothermia.  Marissa hopped out of the water, offering her friend assistance and calling it a night.

That night many of those who were affected were moved to higher floors of the complex for a week and a half.

Marissa pulled a sweatshirt over her head, looking up at the brick complex that most called Baronnessa apartments, but she temporarily called it “home”. Glancing across the parking lot, Marissa saw the Birch Plaza complex and heard volunteers still working through the night. Both Baronnessa and Birch Plaza received the most damage during the flood, but she considered herself lucky.

The New Face of Flood Management

Water seeped through the grass, rising and spreading around the Arpad apartment complex. The rain pounded the roof as Zachary Lee sat in his room. He leaned to look out his bedroom window, eyes widening as he watched the water ascend around his complex. The rain was lightening up, but that didn’t stop Zachary from worrying.

He ran down his stairs and out of his front door, slowing as he approached the water line. Looking from the water line to the foundation of his apartment, Zachary estimated it was about ten feet away. Hailstones melted in the water and grass, and as he counted on on his fingers he reached the number six. Six different hailstorms had hit Rexburg within the last couple of hours.

Though the rain was falling lightly, Zachary didn’t waste any time. He walked to the complexes near him searching for anyone who needed his assistance. He soon entered Birch Plaza where his service was desperately needed and appreciated.

For over two hours Zachary dedicated his time, and during that period one of the volunteers began to sing. Soon a the team of students had become a choir, rehearsing Church hymns that they had memorized. Zachary had mentioned, “[w]hen we sang, “Called To Serve” I couldn’t help but get emotional. Even though we were in the middle of a disaster I felt like I was in heaven. Everyone was smiling and working hard. I heard no complaints which is rare I feel in our generation.”

As the day came to a close, Zachary took dinner to an apartment of girls who were flooded out and helped some of his friends move into a drier house. He walked back to his apartment that night, soaked and tired, but wore a smile as he realized the difference he made in the lives of those who he helped.

Zachary was one of the many students that helped those who were affected. But it really doesn’t matter how many helped, because each of the volunteers will carry a story that will impact them for the rest of their lives.

It Can Happen to Anyone

This flood didn’t teach a lesson only to those it affected, but rather shows that flooding can happen anywhere at anytime. The students who contributed with their accounts were very fortunate and showed surprising nobility as they saw this event as an opportunity to help those around them.

The sudden flooding only affected a small percentage of the student body directly, but the damages that other buildings on campus received will affect more students and faculty than those who had their apartments flooded.

Most were unprepared because they hadn’t had similar life experiences to the flood that had happened, and few thought of visiting National Weather Service website which would have helped them prepare. Nonetheless, the students of BYU-Idaho made the best of the situation as they lent a hand to those who were in need.

From this point on, the students and faculty of BYU-Idaho as well as the residents of Rexburg will remember this event and how they conducted themselves during the disaster. Most will carry this experience with them the remainder of their lives, regarding it as a precious and eye-opening experience. For some it may require them to act in the future as they may experience another flash flood within their lifetime. Others may have the opportunity once again to help those who may be affected in future floods.

For most, though, all of us at LDS.net hope that they will never again have to relive a catastrophe such as the Flash Flood of BYU-Idaho.