On Jan. 24, Nicholls State University received intense weather conditions that led to campus wide flooding. 

This weather caused lingering effects within the campus’ drainage system. Several cars sustained damage due to water entering the vehicle.

Coping with the major inconvenience of flooding on campus is a challenge that students and faculty have learned to adapt to. 

Some areas on campus are more prone to flooding than others. One of these areas is Leighton Drive, which is also known as “Lake Leighton” by some students. This is the least desirable place to be when the weather is inclement.

For safety reasons, it is advised to never park your vehicle on this road when bad weather is anticipated.

On rainy days such as these, a few tips to always be aware of are:

1. Always carry a portable umbrella. Rain can be sporadic and you never know when you may need one. 
2. Wear old shoes. You will encounter lots of water, and it is better to not risk ruining one of your favorite pairs. 
3. Invest in a rain jacket or a poncho. This will help you avoid sitting in class while you are soaking wet from the rain. 

Updated on Feb. 5: Jerad David talked about the flooded area having been inundated with heavy rain and that the local drainage system could not keep up.

“This is not a new problem to our campus, but it is unfortunately an expensive one. The university has attempted to get state capital outlay funding to resolve the drainage issue, but with a present price tag of $14.5 million, we have not been successful in getting the Louisiana legislature to fund the project,” David said. 

According to him, they will continue to work in the upcoming legislative session to gain support for this project.