Ernesto soaks

Last Friday morning, tropical depression Ernesto swept through Richmond-and much of Virginia-catching students, faculty and staff off guard on campus. An estimated 150 million gallons of rain fell in the city, causing the evacuation of more than 240 buildings. In the North Side area of Battery Park, where some of the most significant damage occurred, 250 homes were evacuated after a sewer pipe collapsed, preventing the drainage of rainwater. The tropical depression left $84 million in damages throughout the state, $39 million of which is estimated for cleanup and public repair costs in Richmond.