Upperclassmen have experienced their share of flooding on campus, but do freshmen and even sophomores know what to expect? Bethany is like a valley. All the rain that falls gathers in Bethany. There are positives to this, such as that we often don’t have soil issues and our trees are perfectly green. But when your car is parked on Asbury, you’re at risk to experience some interior damage.
Kellen Escoe, a graduate student here at SNU, has experienced all of Bethany’s lovely weather. Just because it is storming doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. “My first go-to activity when SNU floods is disc golf, 100%. Nothing better,” says Escoe.
Escoe attended Bethany Schools from 4th grade until his senior year, after which he then went on to SNU. He has experienced flooding every time it downpours in Bethany.
“I think SNU floods so badly sometimes because it’s kind of in a divot, and a lot of water collects right here on campus,” says Escoe.
Now say you’re coming home from a long day at work and just so happen to find that Bethany is experiencing one of its worst floods. What should you do?
“Honestly, I’m not sure if any parking in Bethany is good during a flood,” says Escoe. “I’d recommend just driving by. But if you had to park in Bethany during a flood, OnCue is probably a solid spot.”
What can you do if you don’t want to get wet and don’t enjoy rain? Experienced students have answers for that as well.
“Honestly, I don’t usually do anything in the rain, but I love playing video games or taking a nap when it’s stormy out,” says Zach Reyes, a SNU junior. “I love watching the water stream down my window & hearing the thunder rumble.”
However, this past flood Zach and his buddies adventured a little more than usual.
“This recent time was different – my buddies and I accepted that we couldn’t escape getting soaked so we jumped in the deep puddles and just had fun,” says Reyes. “My good buddy, JD, had a canoe in storage, and had the brilliant idea of bringing it over to campus. We drove over in his decked out 4Runner, ratchet strapped it to the roof rack with just enough room to wiggle, and brought the canoe to campus. [We] carried the canoe over our heads across campus over to Asbury Ave and rowed down the street.
Unfortunately Bethany’s tendency to flood coupled with a torrential downpour can bring about more than just a simple “puddle.” Students ought to be careful when confronted with high waters.
“Asbury was super deep,” says Reyes. “I think the deepest part was near the drain, and it was all the way up to the top of my shin. Since there wasn’t a current, unless you were standing on the drain, it was safe to walk in, but I wouldn’t recommend driving it it. Trucks were fine, but Sedans and some SUVs had trouble.”
When asked about the advice he’d give to freshman, new to the experiences of flooding on campus, Reyes had a few wise words of warning.
“First off,” says Reyes, “be safe and make sure to tend to your vehicles, if they are in an area that’s at risk of flooding, before it floods or the water gets too high. If you drive a low-clearance vehicle, it’s not worth flooding your engine to drive through high-water. If you’re off campus, find a higher-elevation area and chill until the water subsides. The same if you’re on campus. Employers will understand if you’re stuck on campus because of hazardous conditions, and if they don’t, that says enough about the employer.
“Second: have fun. Jumping in puddles can bring so much relief to a stressful day – it did for me. Your clothes will be fine. We have laundry rooms for a reason. Don’t want to ruin your shoes? Take them off. Do not be afraid to get messy so that you can have fun. Seek the joy set before us,” says Reyes.
A common Oklahoman phrase is “turn around and don’t drown.” You never know how deep the water can be. Please be safe and watch the weather if you are needing to travel in heavy rain.
Photo by Abbigail Jarantowski