Lang
8/27/21
Mayflower residence hall was evacuated for a little over a half-hour Thursday night due to a suspected gas leak.
According to a Hawkalert issued at 10:25pm, Mayflower was evacuated due to the reported smell of natural gas. Social media showed hundreds of students waiting across Dubuque Street at Terrell Mill Park as firefighters investigated.
A second Hawkalert sent out at 10:39pm indicated the Iowa City Fire Department had resolved the gas leak and it was safe to return to the building. One Twitter video showed students sprinting back across Dubuque Street to re-enter Mayflower ahead of an impending storm.
Firefighters told the Daily Iowan that the gas leak was reported on Mayflower’s fifth floor, but crews could not find any gas readings on their monitors.