HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Twenty-six Northern Kentucky University students were displaced when a pipe burst and flooded several dorm rooms.
A pipe burst in NKU’s University Suites on Aug. 20, according to a university spokesperson. The flooding impacted 16 suites, causing damage to the residence hall and many students’ belongings. University Housing officials found accommodations for all of the students.
Shiann Massie thought a fire drill was underway on Thursday when she heard an alarm go off in her dorm room.
“A pipe had burst in suites but we didn’t hear any information until later,” Massie said.
Massie’s room was one of 16 that flooded.
“Their rooms had a foot of water literally just on the floor and it was up to the second drawer of the desk,” she said.
Her neighbor Immaya Hughes also got water in her bathroom.
“My clothes got wet that were in the bathroom and my rug was soaking wet,” Hughes said.
Both Massie and Hughes were just settling into their first week of school when the pipe burst. Now, they’re housed in a new dorm while the university cleans up the mess.
Hughes, a nursing student, said the move has added an extra layer of stress.
“I think the hardest part has been that I got settled into my routine of like how I am going to do things in my classes, and right now the new room I am in is not the most comfortable room to be in right now so it’s kind of hard for me,” Hughes said.
The university said Concord Fire Protection determined the pipe burst due to stress fractures on the interior of the pipe, something that would not have been found during inspections.
It will take about two weeks for the space to be ready for students to move back in.
“We know this caused a great inconvenience for our students and appreciate their flexibility during this time,” the university said. “University Housing will be following up with the students impacted for next steps."
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