As many as 450 Mississippi State University students may have to seek new housing due to residence hall damage caused by cold temperatures, according to a university news release.
The news release states Ruby Hall sustained the most damage. A fire suppression system water pipe ruptured on the third floor of the “B” wing, which houses male students and many student athletes.
MSU’s two newest residence halls, Oak Hall and Magnolia Hall, were also damaged by water pipe ruptures.
In the news release, MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter said the damage in all three residence halls is substantial and MSU is still assessing the damage.
“We expect that as many as 450 of the 4,000 students MSU regularly houses in our residence hall system will be impacted by this event, and the university’s top priority is their safety,” Salter said in the news release. “The university has already implemented a comprehensive effort to secure the affected buildings and protect the property of our students.”
Maggie Little, freshman kinesiology major who lives in Magnolia Hall, said she is concerned the water damage destroyed personal belongings in her room.
“My immediate response was that I was freaking out because all of my stuff might be damaged, and I’m annoyed that they won’t give us details on our rooms,” she said.
Taylor Pegg, freshman nutrition major and Little’s roommate, said she was less concerned about the damage as long as she has a safe place to live for the spring semester.
“When Maggie told me, I was just like, ‘Oh, wow, that stinks,’ but I’m not too worried about it since there’s not much we can do,” she said. “I’m sure the university will handle it well.”
MSU’s Department of Housing and Residence Life will help students affected by the damages find new housing on and off campus, according to the news release.
Editor’s note: Kristen Spink, managing editor, contributed information to this article.