It was interesting being in Dublin last night when mass amounts of rain - like they haven't seen since 1987 when a hurricane hit - flooded the city.
On my way home from class around 6:30pm the rain had been on going all day and the streets, which don't have very good drain systems, were already starting to show signs of being overloaded. There were areas in the street that looked like lakes and others you just didn't want to go down at all.
Around 8pm back at the apartment, an alarm sounded. None of us could figure out what was going on until the warden came in and said that the outside halls were flooding and that we had to grab warm clothes and get out! We looked out into the hall and low and behold Niagara Falls came to visit all the way from Canada. Water was pouring in from the light fixtures and smoke alarms, every crevice you could imagine was leaking water from the ceiling. On our way down we met another gentlemen - the fire safety expert, who informed us that we may not be able to get back into the building that night and to go back up and quickly grab our computers, and anything else we may need. We did! I contemplated bringing my pillow in case of emergency but one of my roommates was tensely yelling for us to "GET OUT".
Apparently our apartment building - the post grad house - was the only one taking on water. It was insanity trying to get downstairs and out of the building with all the water coming in. We were all hoarded into the reception hall where there are pol tables and couches and such and spent most of the evening chatting, some more dedicated students working.
We thought at first that it was just a Halls situation but quickly learned that all of Dublin was flooding, the bus and Luas were both inactive due to floods and some of the kids we knew who were still at school had to walk back here - 40 minutes in the pouring rain.
The Halls officers ordered us lots of food - three rounds - first pizza, then fried chicken and chips, then biryani! I was like - hmmm biryani - this isn't too bad!
We sat in wait for several hours, most of us wishing and praying that our rooms wouldn't be damaged. Two of the guys we knew who were sitting with us took matters into their own hands and ordered beer! We were later informed that no one would be delivering and that people with cars were going out to get us food. Not one minute later the delivery man showed up with the beer. You know what matters in an emergency situation in Ireland!
We were thankfully let back into our apartments at around 11:30pm, some apartments more wet than others - the fourth floor kitchen and living space was flooded. Our apartment, thank goodness, is fine and it is only the hallways that have suffered damage.
An Irish experience to remember - that's for sure!
Below are video of a nearby shopping center down the street from my building that flooded like the Titanic!
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