Multiple students have been temporarily relocated to other residence halls after flooding in Eastern Michigan University's Downing Hall.
The flooding, caused by the rupture of a radiator on the fourth floor of Downing Hall on Jan. 24, 2026, caused water to leak through the hallways and enter some of the rooms on floors one through four, located on the east side of the building.
Kelsey Perry, a senior studying psychology at EMU, was one of the students affected by the flooding.
"I heard what sounded like pouring rain. I looked out my window and it wasn't raining, so I walked to the front door of my dorm and realized water was pouring through my room," said Perry.
After visiting the front desk, Perry ran into a friend whose dorm was also beginning to flood. Perry said both of their rooms had flooded enough to have to move items off the floor.
"My walls started bubbling up, and then water started coming out of the walls," said Perry. "They [EMU Housing] told us they were going to give us a temporary room for at minimum a week, but it could be longer."
For now, Perry is living in Sellers Hall instead.
An email sent to Downing residents from James Bialek, the complex director of both Wise and Downing Hall, stated that residents who were affected by the flooding were moved to temporary housing while repairs to the building could be conducted.
"This means you are likely to see equipment and workers in the building who are not normally there," stated Bialek. "This process is expected to take a week or longer."
In the email, Bialek encouraged EMU students residing in the on-campus residence halls to keep their windows closed when temperatures outside are considered freezing. Bialek also urged students to purchase renter's insurance, an option that is available for students when they are confirming their spot in a dorm on their housing application.
The exact timeframe for when repairs will be finished is unknown.
For more information regarding what renters insurance covers for on-campus residents, visit the Risk and Emergency Management page on EMU's website.
