On Wednesday evening, Iona College experienced extreme flooding that heavily impacted many of the campus’ buildings as Hurricane Ida hit the Tri-state area, leading to campus closures and residential student relocation.  

The storm’s intensity reached a peak during the late hours of Wednesday night, when buildings on North Avenue and on Iona’s campus began to start flooding.  

Students living in the North Avenue residence hall were among the first affected by the storm, as they were evacuated from the building once the lobby of the main hall started to flood. They were directed to the Hynes Athletic building, where the displaced students spent the night amidst the bleachers in the basketball court.  

Conese Hall was also evacuated during the flooding, but the building was examined and cleared after a few hours. Students were allowed to return to their rooms in Conese around 3:00am. 

The college provided students in the gym with towels, t-shirts, socks, water and snacks   throughout the night, and later also provided a free breakfast Thursday morning.  

Resident Assistants were on hand throughout the entirety of the evening and early morning of the storm, making sure that the needs of students were met and that their safety was ensured. 

The counseling center brought movies, aromatherapy and other stress-alleviating activities to residents on Thursday morning, according to an email from the college.  

Students from the North Avenue residence hall who did not choose to return home were relocated to dormitories on the former Concordia College campus in Bronxville, according to an email from Iona College President Dr. Seamus Carey.  

Students were allowed to return to their dormitories on North Avenue as of Monday evening.  

Vitanza Commons and the ground floor of the LaPenta Student Union were both closed in the aftermath of the storm due to damage, leaving the LaPenta Marketplace as the only location for students to dine on campus.  

The student gym within the Hynes center was also closed, as well as the Mazzella field.  

The surrounding area and off-campus businesses were severely impacted by the storm as well. Businesses on North Avenue including the Mirage, Avenue Deli, and Westchester Taco Grill all experienced damage. The residential areas next to campus near Hubert Place and President Street were also impacted.