Flooding damage can be a very dangerous thing, especially if you are a college student. With hundreds of dollars invested into books and a laptop, many students worry about what will happen to their wallet if their dorm room floods.
With those worries come rumors. After a few rumors spread around the Class of 2023, Director of Residential and Commuter Life Jon Geyer spoke out against the claims.
“If the damage is a result from an action the student, for instance a refrigerator thawed and leaks all over the floor and it creates damage, like tiles coming up, then yes, the student could be responsible for that damage,” Geyer said. “If there is something that is the result of nature, the damage in their room is something they would not be responsible for.”
After numerous reported flood incidents in Saylor-Ackermann, the university decided to put the building under construction and then under flood surveillance.
As part of the flood watch, students are also no longer living in the basement of Saylor-Ackermann.
“Unexpected challenges happened such as a pipe breaks, or the sewer draining floods up. In that case, then we would help the students cover their stuff,” Associate Director of Facilities Management Rima Leonaviciute, said.
Due to the size of the sewers in Bexley, the university is not the only place that suffers from flooding. The streets easily overflow if there is too much rainfall, which is why the university policy strongly encourages students to get renter’s insurance.
“The university’s policy does say pretty clearly that we recommend students to get renter’s insurance for their items whenever something like that happens, the same way you would for your hometown if water gets into your basement,” Geyer said.
With renter’s insurance, students are able to ensure that their belongings are able to be replaced.
In order to take caution against possible flooding, they recommended that students keep their possessions a couple inches off of the ground and try to use plastic storage bins over cardboard boxes.
“Just like anything in your home, this is your home and I encourage students to be proactive. If you see anything you want to change let us know. Will will look into it and then fix it. Knowing that if there are things that you want to change, then call us,” Geyer said.
Geyer also encouraged students to speak up if they have problems.
“If you feel that you aren’t getting proper treatment, then let someone know and we will help. We get hundreds a day so sometimes they get lost, so if that’s the case, please be patient with us. Reach out again if it does not get fixed and we will figure it out for you,” Geyer said.
The first signs of possible flooding is large pools of water in hallways, stairwells, and bathrooms. Call the Facilities Management Office at 614-236-6400 or inform your residential advisor if you experience any maintenance problems.
Our previous article about flooding can be found here.
