Flooding Hits West Point Rugby
Flooding Hits West Point Rugby
The flooding in the Northeast has had a direct impact on the rugby facility at the US Military Academy at West Point.
Flash floods slammed Vermont and Upstate New York this week hitting the Hudson River Valley especially hard.
The flooding swamped the Anderson Rugby Complex at West Point just as the Army Summer Rugby Camp was to kick off. That camp has been canceled and, as you can see from the photos above, there is ample reason for that.
The Anderson Rugby Complex is downhill from much of the USMA facility and is much closer to the regular level of the Hudson River. So, logically, flooding elsewhere would surge downhill. The facility damage and the damage to the local infrastructure made holding the camp impossible.—people simple cannot get on-post.
A social media post by Army West Point Men's Rugby announced the cancelation of its camp and also noted that other nearby communities have been hit, as well.
"It is with sincere regret and sadness that with last night's extreme conditions, and the damage done to our community and region, the we were forced to cancel this year's boys rugby camp," Army Rugby said in their post.
While it might have been possible to delay camp if there had been moderate flooding, as you can see from the photos, the damage is extensive, and the flooding isn't just water but mud and debris. It wouldn't be safe and, in fact, the Anderson Rugby Complex is essentially inaccessible.Roads have been washed out in the area and the main thoroughfare at West Point was under several feet of water.
Those set to attend the camp will be receiving a full refund. There is a third-party registration service fee and Army West Point Rugby will be asking for that to be refunded as well.
The good news? While a huge amount of work will be needed throughout the US Military Academy to repair facilities and infrastructure, as is true in surrounding communities, the Anderson Rugby Complex and Warrior Field will probably recover quickly. The training field to the south of the complex building will likely need to be replaced, but the main field will probably just need to be cleaned up, so we understand.
