Less than a week after a flash flood inundated several buildings, Carl Sandburg College will re-open its main campus in Galesburg on Monday (6/3). Heavy rain on Tuesday night sent a wall of water crashing into the lower levels of three buildings.
All offices will be open, but several have moved to new locations. Spokeswoman Robin DeMott says damage is now estimated at $500,000, including carpet, furniture, and quite a few computers. And with little help expected from the state, donations are now being accepted by the Sandburg College Foundation.
"We've had a lot of folks come forward - alumni, community members, and Sandburg friends - making donations already. We hope that continues."
DeMott says video of the flood from security cameras has proved to be very popular.
"We had all the national media calling for permission for the video, and we're over 100,000 reaches of that video across the world. It hit all the national networks. We even had a request from the Polish television network. It's really a crazy way for Carl Sandburg College to get its name out there."
Fortunately the flood occurred at night when no one was on campus, so there were no injuries. And it occurred during the "pre-summer session" when only a few classes had to be cancelled.