Some students lit candles and did homework. Others stood and watched the sky. And for many students, last week's severe thunderstorm provided an opportunity to take a break from schoolwork and just play in the rain.
Following a power transmission failure between the University and its electrical provider, Virginia Power, approximately 12,000 residents located throughout Central Grounds and surrounding areas lost power Thursday from 9:10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Chris Green, Building and Grounds systems supervisor for Facilities Management, said most of the power was restored by 11:30 p.m., although, in some areas the electricity was out until 4 a.m.
"It took so long to restore the power because the biggest issue is locating where the problem is," Green said.
Other storm-related damages included three fallen trees: One that fell on a car on Hospital Drive, another that landed in the road near the Child Care Center off Emmett Street and a third tree that collapsed on a power line over Little Maria Street.
No injuries occurred and the car was in drivable condition, according to University Police.
Third-year College student Caleb King was driving a bus for University Transit Services on the blue route when the storm hit.
"I was driving down 14th Street and I saw three transformers explode," King said. "Then all the power went out and I couldn't see anything."
At 9:30 p.m. the UTS radio stopped working, forcing the supervisor on duty to track down all buses and temporarily discontinue service, King said.
Green said Facilities Management still is dealing with storm-related damage, including a flood in the basement of Bonnycastle house on McCormick Road. In addition, several fire panels, which control the fire alarm system, had to be replaced throughout McCormick Road dormitories.
"There were a number of buildings where the fire panels were so severely damaged that it was easier to replace them altogether," Green said.
First-year College student Brian Ichard, who lives in the basement of Bonnycastle, said there was about an inch of standing water on the floor of the basement.
"In the bathroom, the drains were pumping up water," Ichard said. "The carpet was soggy and smelly."
Because of the water damage, third-year College student Lauren Pool, an RA in Bonnycastle, said the University paid for the students in the basement to stay at the Cavalier Inn for the night.
Other students living off Grounds faced similar inconveniences.
Second-year College student Kate Haffey, who lives in the Rugby McIntyre Apartments, experienced a power outage from about 9 p.m. Thursday night until 5:30 a.m. Friday morning, followed by another outage at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Despite the nuisance, however, Haffey and many other students found ways to amuse themselves during the outage.
"We had candles and flashlights, and the people from down the hall came over, and we played cards," Haffey said.
Second-year College student and Lambeth resident Lindsey Hall watched neighbors slip and slide in the mud.
"It started raining really hard, so everyone stood on their balcony and watched these guys run around without their shirts on and sliding in the mud on trash bags," Hall said. "It was really funny."
Although he said he expects additional rain this week, Green said he does not anticipate further power outages.
"If the power does go out again, we want all students to be patient," he said.
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