Strong storms from a much-needed rain system impacted the start of the new semester. Students, faculty and staff at Texas Wesleyan University spent their first day back on campus trying to avoid getting too wet from the heavy rain. The same torrential rains caused traffic delays and dangerous flooding around DFW and the Polytech community.

In a statement issued from Texas Wesleyan University, it was announced that classes were to continue despite the weather alerts: “We recognize the weather may be impacting each member of the TXWES community differently, and we understand each individual needs to do everything they can to be safe — especially our students that drive to campus.”

Some students were curious as to why classes weren’t canceled or even performed virtually, like junior political science and English major Bailey O’Donnell. “In my area, there were flash flooding warnings, and I literally got a warning on my phone that said you should not travel unless you’re fleeing from a danger area,” she said. O’Donnell drove past “huge puddles” with her hazard lights on the highway. The weather conditions added an additional 10 to 15 minutes to O’Donnell’s drive to campus.

When Assistant Dean of Students Dr. Jill Gerloff left her home around 7:30 a.m., her usual 25-minute commute took almost an hour. “As soon as I left my house, [the rain] was just like blinding sideways and parts of Rosedale were flooded,” she said. “I saw a bunch of cars on the side of the road.”

Even with heavy rains, some students were able to dry quickly. Commuting sophomore political science and history major Aubrey Hansen felt lucky that the inside of her backpack was waterproof because the outside of her backpack was soaked after walking in the rain around 12:30 p.m. on Monday. When asked about the condition of her shoes, she said they were “pretty good” and already dried.

As he was enjoying his first day of college, freshman biology major Aaron Drumgoole didn’t mind the rain. He came to campus aware of the forecast and used an umbrella. Drumgoole is glad university officials did not cancel classes. “It’s just rain,” he said when asked if it was worth coming to campus with such a heavy downpour. “I like rain.”

However, there were others that were caught in small, flooded areas on campus. Gerloff  said, “I had my rain boots on, and I was set like water was rushing to the point where a couple of the uneven parts of the sidewalk were halfway up my rain boots.”

O’Donnell parked across the street from the Polytechnic United Methodist Church building in student parking E, but her “rain jacket was already like soaked through” by the time she walked past the building.

More rain is expected Tuesday.