'I'm still shaking': 50 students in dorm building when roof collapses at Brevard College

BREVARD, N.C. (WLOS) — An intense situation unfolded Sunday, Jan. 16 at Brevard College.

Emergency crews responded to a partial roof collapse at one of the dorms -- Jones Hall -- just after 3 p.m.

“Very scary,” said Melody Ferguson, a sophomore at the college. “I’m still shaking to this moment.”

Ferguson saw the collapse as she was walking past the residence hall.

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Initially, it was the sound of the collapse that alerted her something was wrong.

“The sound was just Some of my friends were across campus and they thought it was a car crash,” she said.

“As soon as it caved in, someone went in and pulled the fire alarm,” Ferguson said.

Brevard Fire Captain Adam Hughey said that quick thinking with the fire alarm made all the difference.

”That alerts everyone in the building at the same time and allows them to react and get out,” he said.

At full capacity, Jones Hall has 80 residents; 50 were in the building when the collapse happened.

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“Everyone got out and was accounted for,” Hughey said.

And thankfully, no one was hurt.

“I have no words,” Ferguson said.

Late Sunday night, Brevard College tweeted that heavy snowfall caused by the winter storm caused the partial roof collapse.

But what actually failed within the structure is being investigated, and crews are assessing the building.

Temporary accommodations are being made for those students who were impacted.