A Steady March to Recovery

On Friday, June 8, a member of the Baylor College of Medicine Center for Comparative Medicine team planned to go home like any other night. But as the rains from Tropical Storm Allison began to fall, he checked into a nearby hotel just in case the early morning crew could not get to work. Good thing he did.

When the rains did not let up early Saturday morning, he dashed through the downpour to the college, assessed the situation and called colleagues in to help. As storm waters began to enter the building, he started leading animals to safety. A calf ended up in the women's bathroom, and there were rabbits in one of the conference rooms. Staff soon joined him in the rescue efforts to save as many animals as possible.

Although, this modest hero did not want his name used, he is one of the many who are responsible for the college's steady march to recovery from the devastating storm.

The force of the storm was far in excess of anything the Texas Medical Center had ever seen. At Baylor, storm waters entered the sub-basement and basement. Only one building had emergency power. There were no telephones, no e-mail or computer access. Hallways and offices were dark. Furniture in the basement cafeteria was floating in bunches. There were no elevators to the upper floors, and the stairwells were hot and dark. Flashlights became the disaster team's best friends. The humidity and heat would have sapped all energy - except for the adrenaline that kept everyone moving.

Later Saturday morning, a crew of workers began the task of digging out from the flotsam and jetsam left by the storm. Plant Facilities staff took the lead in finding as many big pumps as they could, a difficult task because they were competing with almost every other business in the storm-stricken area.

Faculty and employees, concerned about their research and the building, came in to help as soon as it was possible. Some were unable to leave their homes. Others could not get in due to blocked access roads to the Texas Medical Center.

Staff and personnel continued to rescue animals. The new vivarium took on only a little water, and none of the laboratory animals were lost. All dogs, pigs, some rabbits and one calf were rescued. More than 100,000 rodents and other animals survived the storm.

Staff began searching for dry ice to pack the subzero freezers in order to save precious specimens and ongoing experiments. Over the next few days, faculty, staff, and students worked together to deliver more than 25 tons of dry ice to labs for freezers.

In the meantime, personnel from food services arrived to provide clean drinking water and food for the staff. Housekeeping staff arrived to take charge of cleaning efforts. Telecommunications staff began restoring phone systems, getting emergency numbers working over the weekend.

Researchers continued to arrive at the college to check on their labs. Huge generators parked near the building were supplying power. By Tuesday, the basements were clear of water, although some small amount remained in the sub-basement. There was no air conditioning, although some buildings had been restored to normal power and others had emergency power to keep needed services going. Consultants were coming into the building to oversee the cleanup. Architects, construction experts and electricians filled the building, working to restore and repair.

As services slowly returned day by day, one sentiment echoed throughout Baylor - many individuals, some who only knew one another by e-mail, had finally met face to face. In fact, they had rolled up their collective sleeves and did whatever it took to get the college up and running again.

"Everyone has been supportive, positive, and optimistic during the devastating situation - this kind of cooperative effort will greatly facilitate our recovery," said Dr. Ralph D. Feigin, president and CEO.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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