DeKALB – At around 10:30 a.m. Monday, approximately 35 students living in Patterson Hall East were displaced by flooding from a burst pipe in the fire alarm system, according to a statement by NIU.

The university has provided students with free lodging accommodations at the hotel in the Holmes Student Center until the end of their final exams this week.

In a university statement, NIU said it estimates repairs from the burst pipe to be finished over winter break.

Flooding in Patterson East has happened multiple times this year, the last on Oct. 26 when a pipe burst in the fire system, and before that on Jan. 26 in Patterson East and West Halls.

“Staff from NIU Housing and Residential Services, Building Services, Physical Plant, the Heating Plant and Environmental Health and Safety worked all day Monday to extract water and dry out the affected areas,” according to the university statement.

NIU has hired BELFOR Property Restoration to use fans and dehumidifiers to dry the affected rooms.

“We are sorry for this disruption at such an important time in the semester. The university is doing all it can to accommodate students who were affected by this so that they can study for and complete their finals successfully,” according to the university’s statement.