RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — The Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond became a temporary shelter Aug. 30, providing safety to motorists stranded from the floods caused by Tropical Depression Gaston.
Gaston dumped nearly a foot of rain during the afternoon and early evening, which caused flooding and power outages during rush hour. BTSR is located off Brook Road, which became a major thoroughfare for evening commuters seeking to bypass interstates 95 and 64, which were closed. The flooding left many motorists stranded.
“The streets were like rivers,” said Rick Clore, coordinator of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia, who was unable to leave his office on the BTSR campus.
The police brought stranded motorists to the seminary, which was one of the few buildings in the area that had power. “It was really a beautiful thing to see how the police started bringing folks in,” said seminary President Tom Graves. Graves and a handful of BTSR faculty, along with Clore and CBFV office administrator Arlene Perry, were able to assist the nine motorists who sought shelter.
A woman eight months pregnant was able to rest in a dorm room. A mother and her 16-month-old baby were fed. A diabetic man who came in drenched and shivering was given some food and clothes. Students who lived in the dorms upstairs brought down clothes and blankets.
“It became a community of helpers,” Clore said.
Both the seminary the CBFV office suffered minor water damage.
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— Photo available.