HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — More than 100 Northern Kentucky University students were forced to move out of their dorms after pipes burst over winter break, leaving rooms flooded.
Classes resumed this week, but students who had to relocate said it made for a stressful start to the semester.
“I haven’t had time to order books, I haven’t had time to just like feel comfortable getting into the spring semester,” said Morgan Dunaway, who moved into a new dorm this week. “Even though it's only been like two days, I just feel very overwhelmed.”
The flooding caused damage to two residence halls. Morgan Dunaway lived in University Suites, which was the building with the most significant damage.
"Ceiling tiles were like broken, there was just water everywhere," Dunaway said.
NKU student Sierra Gray also lives in University Suites. Her room didn’t have any damage, but she said other students in her residence hall had damage to some of their belongings.
"A lot of people lost a lot of their electronics and things,” Gray said. “Clothes ... a lot of shoes got messed up."
Students whose dorms were impacted were moved into other residence halls.
When they returned to get their belongings, Gray said some residents found leftover food and drinks from construction workers.
"(They) used their bathroom and didn’t flush ... they were really upset," Gray said.
Dunaway said there was trash left in her room.
"They had taken stuff out of our fridge and drank it and eaten it,” she said. “The people that were working on it broke my lamp."
Dunaway said she feels it's a situation that could've been prevented.
"I think they could've made updates to the building a long time ago,” Dunaway said. “I think they put off big expenditures like that all the time."
This isn't the first time something like this has happened.
Back in 2020, WCPO reported students were displaced when a pipe burst and flooded 16 rooms in University Suites.
"I hope that they have some measures in place, leaving water running, things like that, so this doesn’t happen again,” Gray said. “I'm just hoping I can get out before another thing happens."
A spokesperson with the university declined to speak on camera, but provided this statement:
“Over NKU's winter break, the arctic front of flash freeze and severely cold temperatures that impacted the entire region did cause some damage on campus. Specifically, several pipes burst in areas, and though overall damage was minimal in nature, there was considerable impact to the North wing of University Suites, which caused for students to be moved to other residence halls. The university moved swiftly to respond to this extreme event and continues to care for the impacted students to ensure their needs are fully met throughout this transition.”
University Suites' north wing will be closed through the spring semester for repairs.
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