U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association
Central Region Trustee
Leonard R. Wass, CAPT (Ret.)
USNA Class of 1964

Subj: Hurricane Isabel Hits USNA

Refer to: Central Region Letter 27-03; September 23, 2003
***
PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY TO E-MAIL ME. I WILL NOT GET IT. E-MAIL ME DIRECTLY AT MY USNA ALUMNI CLASSMAIL ADDRESS, len.wass@1964.usna.com
***
Chapter Officers - Please give this e-mail the widest possible distribution among your members and other alumni in your area.
***

I have been received information on the flooding effect of Hurricane Isabel on the Naval Academy from a variety of sources. This includes the Nashville Chapter President, John Ohlinger, who has been in contact with an alumnus stationed in the Yard (Curt Lindsay). The flood had a devastating effect and I'm sure it will be some time before all is back to normal. Here are some highpoints of what has happened:

• The previous storm surge was at a level of 5.5 feet in 1933; Isabel caused a 7.5 foot tidal surge at USNA and in downtown Annapolis on Thursday (it hit the Chesapeake Bay at high tide I was told).
• Gate 1 was completely flooded and closed. No unofficial visitors/traffic was allowed in the Yard. Gate 2 was opened to official foot traffic. Gates 3 and 7 were open but access very restricted-the athletic fields next to the Severn and the Bay were all under water.
• Bancroft Hall was without power for about 1.5 days
• King Hall, or the "mess hall" as many of us affectionately term it, was flooded. It was cleaned out quickly and is up and running.
• Classes are in session, but with much flexibility because of flooded buildings. About 50% of the classroom space was affected. All the academic buildings are running on portable generators until the electrical situation can be worked out. Rickover and Chauvenet Halls won't be used until they can be properly ventilated.
• Basements of Rickover, Chauvenet, Michelson (under renovation), Maury and Sampson Halls were flooded. This is a big problem because world-class laboratory facilities are located under the new classroom buildings.
• The electrical grid and cooling plants were severely affected, as they are under the basement of Michelson and Rickover Halls. These spaces were essentially filled with water. The basements contained about 1-2' of water.
• Mitsher Auditorium was flooded
• LeJeune Hall, the Olympic swimming complex, had the sub-basement flooded (where all the pumps and filters are located).
• Some USNA classes were having their reunions last weekend. The Supe and Commandant were thoughtful enough to allow them access to the Yard even though all other unofficial traffic was not allowed. The Mid Store was cleaned out and reopened by Saturday for these alumni. A big class reunion dinner at Alumni Hall was delayed from Friday to Saturday night to let the flood waters subside.
• Navy whomped Eastern Michigan on Saturday 39-7 with minimum relocation problems at the Stadium.

I would invite you to go the Alumni Association web site to see pictures of the flooding devastation in the Yard and in downtown Annapolis. You can either go to the home page and search, www.usna.com, or use the following hyperlink: http://www.usna.com/WhatsNew/2003/Isabel/Isabel.htm

I think we would all agree that the new Superintendent and new Commandant of Midshipmen have their hands full in dealing with this natural disaster. They seem to have performed extremely well based on the information I've been receiving.

****************************************
GO NAVY!! BEAT ARMY!!!

Very Respectfully,
Leonard R. Wass '64
Captain, USNR (Ret.)
Central Region Trustee, USNAAA
len.wass@1964.usna.com
(W) 630-637-1405 x223
Fax: 630-637-1404

***
PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY TO E-MAIL ME. I WILL NOT GET IT. E-MAIL ME DIRECTLY AT MY USNA ALUMNI CLASSMAIL ADDRESS, len.wass@1964.usna.com
***
Chapter Officers - Please give this e-mail the widest possible distribution among your members and other alumni in your area.
***
All Central Region Letter's are archived at http://www.wcginc.com/usnaaa/index.htm
***

Central Region:
AL,AR,IA,IL,IN,KS,KY,LA,MI,MN,MO,MS,ND,NE,OH,OK,SD,TN,TX,WI
and the CARIBBEAN, SOUTH AMERICA, & CANADA