Flooding damaged two floors of the T Lofts Apartments early Saturday in an incident still under investigation.
At about 1:40 a.m. Saturday, two male non-residents reportedly turned on the fire standpipe in a stairwell, flooding multiple apartments on the first and second floors. Affected residents have been told by management to move out by noon Tuesday.
Danielle Paulus, Roers Property Management director, said one of the two suspects is in Fargo Police custody while “additional suspects are being sought at this time.”
T Lofts has security footage of the suspects entering and fleeing the building, Paulus said.
Damage costs were not yet known as of Monday afternoon, she added.
First floor resident Cody Sehn, a senior in marketing, said his roommate lost two laptops. Water also claimed their PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox 360.
“You could push, you could kick water in the room,” Sehn said. “Rugs, when you pick ’em up and move ’em, water would run off of ’em. … The rooms were soaking wet.”
Paulus said 21 of the T Lofts’ 181 units were affected by the flooding, along with “major damage” to corridors and stairwells.
Sehn spent Sunday night at a friend’s house and will spend the foreseeable future at the La Quinta Inn & Suites. He added he and his roommate will “store all (their) stuff” in a 30-foot trailer for the time being as well.
Second floor residents Kayla Koehmstedt, a senior in marketing, and Rachel Schmaltz, a junior in agricultural economics, said they lost some boots with “a couple inches” of water in their apartment. Water also got under their floors.
“They have to rip out all our flooring, all our cupboards, our bathrooms,” Koehmstedt, adding she and Schmaltz will live in a hotel or with friends for the immediate future.
Schmaltz said she heard damages “will go over $100,000 for sure, at least.”
Paulus said all affected parties have been recommended to file a renters insurance claim. T Lofts residents must have a renters insurance policy as a provision to their lease, she added.