Dramatic video shows the terrifying moment powerful floodwaters slammed through the glass doors of an off-campus student house, blasting a door panel across the room as muddy water poured into the lower level.
The flooding unfolded on Aug. 27 in Glassboro, New Jersey, after intense storms triggered significant flash flooding just as Rowan University students were getting ready to move into housing before the start of the September semester.
Resident Tommy Scirrotto said the water left behind widespread destruction, damaging four bedrooms on the home’s lower level, according to a GoFundMe post created after the incident.
“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,” Scirrotto said.
When the video begins, roughly an inch of water had already made its way inside the lower level of the student home.
As one student moved closer to the French doors, several feet of water could be seen pressing against the glass from outside, appearing moments away from breaking through. Towels had been stuffed along the bottom of the doors in a last-ditch effort to hold back the flooding.
Seconds after the student warned, “This door is gonna break,” one of the doors buckled under the pressure and shot across the room.
The scene quickly turned chaotic as water surged indoors, overwhelming makeshift laundry barriers that appeared to have been arranged to slow the initial rush of floodwater.
Photos posted on GoFundMe showed furniture, beds and rugs completely submerged in floodwater.
On the same day, Rowan University issued a warning about severe flash-flooding conditions across the region, adding that water had also “infiltrated” the Glassboro campus.
“Several campus buildings have also taken on water,” the university said.
“Please exercise caution and stay safe during this severe weather.”
According to the National Weather Service, the wider southwestern New Jersey region received between 4 and 6 inches of rain.
