Video released by Howard University on Thursday shows the shocking scale of damage caused inside at least three buildings after harsh winter weather caused a cascade of steam heating failures and water pipe blowouts during the University's winter break.
Disruptions are expected through graduation.
The beginning of spring semester was delayed a week by the damage and the scramble to get heat pumped back into a large number of the university's buildings that were left cold after the initial crisis.
On Thursday, students reported that parts of some buildings are still without adequate heat. At least 500 classes have been relocated due to the crisis.
Currently there are three landmark buildings that are badly damaged, and likely to stay closed through graduation or longer.
"The scale is every building on campus has been impacted by this," said Aaron Baltimore, executive director of facilities Howard.
The most serious damaged happened at Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall, which is in the process of being gutted for repair. Annex 1 and Annex 2 are also closed for the rest of the semester, which has just begun.
The crisis began on January 2, when near zero temperatures caused an 80-year-old main steam line under 6th St. NW to buckle and break at a number of locations. The line pumps heat into buildings on campus including Douglass Hall.
One of the fractures happened in front of Douglass Hall and blew high pressure steam throughout the building "like a wildfire", according to Baltimore. Damage from heat and condensation was extensive.
After the steam line failure, two of three boilers in a central plant serving the entire university and Hospital complex failed, and were essentially destroyed.
In the aftermath, facilities workers directed all remaining heat to the hospital to keep the facility functioning during the crisis.
As a result, many buildings on campus went cold. Water pipe bursts and water damage were widespread.
The opening of the new semester at Howard was delayed a week while workers scrambled to restore heat to the campus and administrators planned how to handle the closure of three major buildings.
Damages have not been totaled, but administrators told alumni in a Wednesday evening conference call that they feared it could go into the tens of millions of dollars.
Insurance is expected to cover much of the cost.
Students reported cold classrooms and schedule disruptions.
"They are moving forward. I think they are doing the best that they can," said Nicole Darden who is seeking a master's degree in social work.
Darden said she has not been able to officially register for classes due to the disruption, but she is attending class meetings while the situation is stabilized.
