By Kyra Alessandrini
Students living at Clark Atlanta University residences were evacuated after thunderstorms led to flooding on Thursday. Over two inches of rain fell in an hour and flooded part of Downtown Atlanta and Clark Atlanta University. About three hours’ worth of rain fell in just 15 minutes.
This led to parts of Atlanta being flooded under five feet of water and damage to cars, fences and buildings across the city. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the damage impacted at least three buildings around the Atlanta University Center, which comprises Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College.
“A severe thunderstorm watch was issued earlier today around 2:06 p.m. within Metropolitan Atlanta. The area experienced heavy rains causing some streets near Clark Atlanta University’s campus to flood and some of the university’s residence halls to experience flooding,” a statement by Clark Atlanta University reads, according to FOX 5.
The university added that water is being removed from campus and that repairs are being assessed.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens also said he offered his administration’s full support to students, faculty and staff at the Atlanta University Center, as well as at Georgia Tech and Georgia State University.
Some students were injured during the incident. Morgan Lee, a Clark Atlanta student, told the AJC that one person’s leg had bleeding and fractures after their leg was trapped in a doorway due to the water pressure.
Most students were taken by surprise by the flooding.
“I got up, and she went to go check, like outside the door, and she started seeing water everywhere. And so, I had got up, and then, one of our other roommates, like across from us, she was like going back into her room until the water broke her window, and like fell all the way through in her room and stuff,” Mya Moore, another Clark Atlanta student, told FOX 5. “So, I got up, and me and my roommate grabbed everything we needed, and we basically trudged out of there and went upstairs.”
The incident left many in shock. So far, it is unclear how many people were injured.
“I was nervous and scared because when that happens, you don’t know what to think. You can think of the worst-case scenario,” Moore added.