Hundreds of NC State students forced out of dorms after flooding from sprinkler system
More than 400 N.C. State University students were forced out of their residence hall after sprinklers flooded dozens of dorm rooms Monday afternoon.
A student accidentally knocked the head off a sprinkler in his dorm room, which sent water spewing out onto his bed and triggered the entire fire-extinguishing sprinkler system on the 11th floor of Metcalf Hall.
The leaks and flooding affected nearly 50 rooms and the building’s power was shut off, forcing students to evacuate the dorm and find another place to stay Monday night. The leaks also caused temporary power outages at Bowen and Carroll residence halls.
The incident could’ve been even more distressing and inconvenient, but students were finishing classes Tuesday and heading home for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The university offered students a different room on campus to stay in and they were given fresh linens and snacks. About 30 students took the offer. Most students gathered what they could when it was safe to go back into the building with university escorts and got an early start on their Thanksgiving break.
University staff is assessing the damage, and trying to get all the water up and drying out the affected floor, according to university spokesman Mick Kulikowski.
He said officials put large fans throughout the building to dry it out, and staff are collecting and cleaning bedding and rugs.
The dorm is out of commission at least through the weekend as construction and electric crews work to repair damage.
Students were advised to check insurance policies about damaged items. Some could apply for financial assistance through the Pack Essentials Student Emergency Fund.
This story was originally published November 23, 2021 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Hundreds of NC State students forced out of dorms after flooding from sprinkler system."
