A sprinkler system failure caused flooding and property damage to dorm rooms in Middlebrook Hall on Sept. 10, according to a statement from University of Minnesota Director of Housing & Residential Life Susan Stubblefield.

A sprinkler on Middlebrook’s 11th floor burst around 5 p.m., causing water damage in 13 rooms, according to the statement. Twenty-six residents were affected, and housing and residential services were temporarily relocated.

Stubblefield said University housing staff are currently investigating why the sprinkler burst. She does not believe the sprinkler was faulty.

First-year Vivian Amos opened her door to leave for a club meeting when she heard a noise from her closet. Suddenly, the sprinkler in her room began to blast water everywhere, spraying Amos with dirty water.

“I was in such a state of panic, and there was so much water,” Amos said. “Normally, the sprinkler’s like a shower head, but this felt like a hose right on me.”

She said the spray knocked one of her AirPods out of her ear and left her soaked. Amos and her roommate called the community advisor on duty for help and grabbed their valuables as water began to flood into the hallway.

“I was freezing,” Amos said. “I was drenched in dirty water. I was so cold, and I was just freaking out because the water was spreading so fast.”

Students and staff evacuated Middlebrook, and after sprinklers were shut off, the community advisors, also called CAs told Amos and her roommate to pack up what they could into moving carts.

Most of the students on Amos’ floor had to relocate temporarily.

Amos and her roommate spent around five hours that night in a laundry room washing the dirt from their clothes. Even after a couple of washes, some of Amos’ clothes were still damaged, along with her rug.

From New York, Amos has no family close by. Amos said she had to store some of her belongings in Middlebrook closets. 

Amos said she does not know how damaged those belongings have been, since she has not accessed the closets since the flooding.

Amos said the CAs and staff were very kind, helping students pack and move belongings. She said some parents have reached out to her online, offering to replace damaged belongings. 

In the meantime, Amos said she has been able to store some property in her friends’ dorms.

Amos said she has seen comments online claiming she or her roommate messed with the sprinkler, but said that neither of them has touched it at all.

“I wouldn’t purposely flood my own dorm room the second week of freshman year,” Amos said.

Amos said she spoke with police the night of the flood, and they confirmed the sprinkler’s water did not spray properly. 

After the flooding, the University replaced both sprinklers in Amos’s room.

Kristi King, another Middlebrook resident, was away when she received a text from her friend about the flooding. When she got to her room, some of her clothes and shoes were damaged from the standing water.

“It is a weird feeling,” King said. “It feels like my home was just taken from me.”

On Sept. 12, 10 of the 26 residents were able to move back into their dorms, according to Stubblefield’s statement. Last Monday, six other residents were able to move back in, and the rest of the students, including Amos and King, were scheduled to move back in on Friday.

According to Section 12 of the University’s housing contract, residents’ personal property is not protected by the University, and instead, any damage should be protected by the student’s renter’s insurance.

The residents were offered to permanently relocate, Stubblefield said. She added that there have been no requests for compensation from the affected students.

Stubblefield said the Department of Health and Safety tested the dorms to ensure they were safe to live in. She said they are working with the University’s Health, Safety and Risk Management office to follow up on the incident.

“When unexpected facilities issues occur, the University is committed to addressing the situation as quickly as possible and working across University departments to repair and restore the space,” Stubblefield said.