'Unprecedented' flooding closes Bryan Center, Moneta says 'lots of unknowns'

After a morning of heavy rain, the Bryan Center has been temporarily closed due to flooding.

The lower level of the Bryan Center has seen intense flooding, and the building has been closed off until working crews can fix the water damage, according to a news release

Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, called the flooding "unprecedented" in an email to The Chronicle. He added that he could not provide many details about the damage or when the Bryan Center would re-open fully until further assessments were made.

"Lots of unknowns right now," he wrote. "This flood and damage are unprecedented, so folks are trying to figure out what happened. Won’t know more for at least a day. Hoping to reopen the building except for damaged areas tomorrow but too soon to confirm."


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Courtesy of Duke Today

Keith Lawrence, director of news and communications, confirmed in an email the flooding in the lower level.

"We can confirm substantial water damage in the lower level, including the greenhouse area. Remediation is underway now and the area will be closed for a while," he wrote. "The bookstore reopened [Saturday] afternoon, and will be operating on a normal schedule going forward.  The rest of the building returned to normal operations [Sunday] morning, including food service."

A flood advisory was issued around 9 a.m. by the National Weather Service for Durham County and other surrounding counties. As of 10 a.m. Saturday, it will stay in effect until 10:45 a.m. Durham residents were advised to watch for flash flooding throughout the weekend.

The Duke Eye Center off Erwin Road has also seen flooding

Isolated rain and thunderstorms should be expected for the next few days. According to the release, individuals should contact Facilities Management (919-684-2122) or Engineering and Operations (919-684-3232) if they notice any additional flooding.

Editor's Note: This article was updated Monday morning with Lawrence's comments.


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Jake Satisky | Editor-in-Chief

Jake Satisky was the Editor-in-Chief for Volume 115 of The Chronicle. 

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