The ETSU campus is still recovering from the extreme winter weather that interrupted the 2022 holiday season.
The frigid temperatures combined with high winds caused many water pipes throughout campus to leak and burst, which damaged 10 apartments at Buccaneer Ridge, along with the Millennium Center and Ball Hall, as well as many other campus facilities.
Affected residents at Buccaneer Ridge have been successfully relocated to another unit within the facility. Already, four of the affected apartments have been cleaned and caused no disruption to the residents.
The remaining six units will require more extensive repairs, meaning that they will remain offline until the middle of the semester.
Bonnie Burchett, ETSU’s director of Housing and Residence Life, shared that the recent cold weather and its impact on Buccaneer Ridge has raised the question as to how efficient their preventative measures are and in what ways they can be improved for the future.
A cause for concern were the rolling blackouts issued by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which occurred prior to the frozen pipes on campus, leading Burchett to question whether the heat in Buccaneer Ridge successfully turned back on when power was restored.
It is for this reason that Burchett wants to have more patrols on the grounds of Buccaneer Ridge and other housing facilities in the future, hoping to catch any signs of leaking water or HVAC issues.
“We’re grateful no one was hurt,” Burchett said. “It’s not been an easy thing, but it has worked out and they’ve [Buccaneer Ridge residents] been patient and understanding… it’s made a bad situation better.”
The extreme cold weather brought issues for other campus facilities, as well. The biggest problems arose in the Millennium Center and Ball Hall, however Gilbreath Hall, Mathes Hall and Wilson-Wallis were among the others impacted.
“Everything from HVAC equipment to sprinkler lines, water supply lines… if the cold air, for a prolonged period of time, was able to penetrate in any way, it created water issues for us,” ETSU’s Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Ross said.
Ross cites the quick response and commitment from the ETSU staff as the reason repairs should take no more than three weeks to complete, which will hopefully lead to an “enhanced” campus.
“The dedication of the staff to mitigate and to work over the holidays [has] resulted in– I believe– a better campus,” Ross said.
Ross also sees the extreme weather as an opportunity to revisit current preventative measures in place and assess whether they need to be updated.
He is optimistic, however, that the effects of the cold weather on ETSU facilities can only better prepare them for future cold weather.
“The problems that surface are usually the ones you’re unaware of,” Ross said, adding that now they are aware of these issues, and can use this knowledge to better adapt their winter weather precautions.
