Classes at App State won’t return for a while, officials say

BOONE, N.C. — With fall break, classes at Appalachian State University will not meet until after Oct. 15 at its campuses in Boone and Hickory, officials announced on Wednesday.

Residence halls, dining facilities, and campus medical facilities will stay open. The university is giving away hot meals for free.

No residence halls are structurally compromised after Helene, officials said.

Vehicles are not being towed unless they’re in the way of emergency crews. Cars will be moved if they aren’t working and are in the way of flood cleanup.

Areas that crews are working to restore have been roped off.

An App State Disaster Relief Recovery Fund has been set up for students, faculty and staff.

Click here for more information about the university’s closure.

Flooding impacts App State students, campus

Piles of mattresses, furniture, ovens, and fridges were lined up Tuesday outside student housing near the campus of App State, and it went on for blocks.

Students are dealing with extensive flood damage at the Bavarian Village Apartments, an off-campus apartment complex in Boone.

READ MORE:

• ‘Coming up through the floors’: App State students rescued from floodwaters
• Appalachian State University cancels classes due to Helene impacts

Several residents shared video of water rising quickly at the apartments as they flooded. One student recorded video from the inside of her apartment during the storm.

On Tuesday morning, Channel 9′s Dave Faherty could see the couches, furniture, refrigerators and other items out on the street. Samaritan’s Purse helped move them to the roadway after they were damaged by the flooding. One woman still can’t believe the losses.

“I feel so so bad for everybody who lost everything in their home,” Xochi Celis-Patzit said. “I feel really bad and sorry for all of them and I hope you they find a way to recover from this.”

One man told Faherty his family lost three cars in the flooding. He watched Tuesday morning as they got towed away.

“The bottom floor has gotten flooded with water so we were unable to get out of our apartment,” Mohamed Abdelfattah said. “We saw cars flying in the water and being dragged by the current. There was nothing we really could do.”

The three cars were among dozens damaged by flooding, and many of the apartments at Bavarian Village are no longer livable.

Faherty has also been in close contact with App State University. A spokesperson said there’s heavy damage to some of the buildings on campus.

On campus, Faherty could see dehumidifiers inside Rankin Hall. Students said water rushed into two buildings on Friday. The university says as much as 4 feet of water was inside Rankin Hall.

“Torrential rain started and didn’t end for two days. I had to wait for a couple of days to hear from my professor because there was no internet or electricity,” Zach Jabelman said.

The university says it is still assessing the damages on campus. There is no school through the remainder of the week, but that could be extended.

(WATCH BELOW: ‘Wiped out’: Hundreds left homeless after historic flooding in Asheville)

‘Wiped out’: Hundreds left homeless after historic flooding in Asheville

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