Floodwaters reaching several feet high smashed the glass doors of an off-campus student home located in New Jersey.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Video of the incident, which occurred on Aug. 27, shows the facility's lower level filling with water. The incident took place just as Rowan University students were preparing to move into the residence before the start of the school year.
The Damage Was Catastrophic
As reported by the New York Post, severe storms in the area caused the flooding. According to the National Weather Service, the southwestern New Jersey region received between 4 and 6 inches of rain.
In the video, several bedrooms on the home's lower level were already filled with water.
"The storms in Glassboro, Nj claimed the entirety of the lower level at our home. 4 bedrooms completely flooded, resulting in a huge amount of damage," wrote resident Tommy Scirrotto in a GoFundMe post.
The clip begins with an inch of water already seeping into the home. As students tried to keep the water outside by placing towels along the base of the French doors, it kept building up on the other side.
"The door is going to break," one student yells. That's when one of them breaks off the hinges and floats across the room. The water also caused several makeshift barriers to collapse.
The Flood Also Reached the School
Photos on the GoFundMe page show furniture, beds, and rugs submerged in the floodwater.
The same day the flood destroyed the off-campus student home, Rowan University issued a warning to students. The message alerted them to the extreme weather conditions across the region and said floodwater had also "infiltrated" the campus itself.
"Several campus buildings have also taken on water," the university said. "Please exercise caution and stay safe during this severe weather."
So far, the GoFundMe organized by Scirrotto has raised over $2,000. It is aiming to raise $2,800.
