Subzero and single-digit temperatures swept through most of Kentucky during December 2022, and Murray, Kentucky was not an exception. As a result of the severe weather, multiple campus buildings’ pipes burst or froze.

On the academic side of campus, Waterfield Library and the Jesse D. Jones Science Building were flooded. On the residential side of campus, Regents, Hart and Hester colleges and four College Courts apartment rooms were affected. The CFSB Center also suffered flooding. 

Despite the wide range of buildings, Shawn Touney, the executive director of branding, marketing and communications, said Facilities Management responded quickly to flooding reports.

“Our Facilities Management workers, SSC [Building Services] staff, and MSU police responded on Christmas Day and continued to respond during the holiday break to ensure our campus facilities were in good order,” Touney said. “All water has been extracted and was done so very quickly. The drying process began shortly after the removal of water. There are miscellaneous repairs that will take several more weeks to finalize.”

The miscellaneous damages Touney includes are carpet, ceiling tile and sheetrock replacements. 

Touney said preventative measures were taken to avoid water pipe issues as far below-freezing temperatures approached.

“The heat was turned up in many buildings to help prevent freezing in interspatial areas that do not receive direct conditioning,” Touney said.

A feeder pipe to the sprinkler system froze and burst in Waterfield Library, flooding the southeast quadrant of the second floor.

The south quadrant houses multiple offices and classrooms, as well as the Racer Oral Communication Center. 

Dean of Libraries Cris Ferguson said the flooding in Waterfield Library happened on the afternoon of Christmas Day. 

We had about 2 inches of water all along the south side of the building and…then some water leaked through cracks and crevices into the lower level of the library,” Ferguson said. 

The pipe burst at around 3:48 p.m. on Christmas Day, and by 4:30 p.m., the water had been shut off. 

“Right now, we’re pretty back to normal,” Ferguson said. “It took about two weeks. There was a disaster remediation company that came in and put in fans and continued to do extraction and did a thorough carpet cleaning and disinfecting.”

After the cleaning, Ferguson said she was not aware of any lasting damage to the carpet. which took the hardest hit. 

 “On the first day of classes we were fully prepared to open the building and have students in here,” Ferguson said.  

For the flooding in the residence halls, the Housing Office emailed residents who had their personal property damaged. 

In a screenshot posted to the Murray State Parents Facebook page, Hart College facilitators emailed the affected residents of the damage to their rooms. Beyond damage to specific rooms, common areas and hallways also received damage. 

Some of the residents’ area rugs were damaged and discarded, and for other damages, the residents were advised to contact their personal insurance carrier. 

 “Students with concerns should direct those to the Housing Office,” Tourney said. “The nature of the weather front that came through our area during the break does create an inevitable situation of frozen water lines.”