With Hurricane Ida on its way, the Mount Crew team braced for impact and prepped the boat house for 4 feet of flooding; what they didn’t expect was the extra 6 feet that came from the overnight storm.

“We prepared for some flooding at the boathouse by moving equipment and taking things off-sight. But we were not anticipating the level of destruction that came from the storm,” said coach Kiera McCloy.

After learning about how intense Hurricane Ida was predicted to be, typical team practice became an effort to reorganize the boathouse and brace it for damage. The team worked from the Monday before the storm moving all equipment up to the second floor to avoid water damage.

While the team and coaches were sure the boathouse was adequately prepared, nothing could have prepared them for the unexpected aftermath of Ida.

Crucial items in storage were lost in the flooding—first aid kits, coxswain equipment, boat parts, etc.— because they weren’t placed high enough to avoid the flooding. The new docks were also destroyed, which inhibited the team’s ability to practice for multiple days.

Many members of the team had prior commitments planned for the day of the clean-up, but despite this, teammates still showed up at the boathouse for several days. As of late, the clean-up continues.

“It changed our practice plans and we had to clean for almost a week before we could row on the water and train,” McCloy said.

Cleaning required team members, their families, and alumnae to stay at the boathouse until 4pm for nearly a week.

“It’s gonna take a long time until things are back in their place again,” said rower Kate Kelly ‘22.