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WEBVTT STUDENTS DID NOT MOVE THEIR CARSIN TIME.CHERIS THE ICE RINK PARKINGLOT ALSO LOOKS LIKE AN ICE RINKAT THIS TIME ADDING INSULT TOINJURY FOR THE STUDENTS WHOACCIDENTALLY LEFT THEIR CARSHERE A LITTLE TOO LONG THISMORNING.THERE IS A NICE COATING OF ICE.ABOUT 50 STUDENTS DID NOT GETTHE UNIVERSITIES OF ALERTS TOMOVE THE -- DID NOT GET THEUNIVERSITY'S ALERTS TO MOVETHEIR CARS IN TIME.THE PARKING LOT LOOKS MORE LIKEA POND EVEN 12 HOURS AFTER THEFLOODING BEGAN.SAVANNAH IS A FRESHMAN HERE, ONEOF THE MANY WHO DID NOT GETTHEIR CAR OUT IN TIME.SHE WAS HOME IN CONNECTICUT WHENHER FRIENDS CALLED HER TO SAYTHEY HAD TO MOVE HER CAR.I SAID THAT I DID NOT HAVEANY KEYS THERE.CHERIS HER BLACK JEEP IS ONEOF THE MANY VEHICLES STRANDEDHERE IN FEET OF WATER.A TOWING COMPANY CAME TO SURVEYTHE SITUATION.TH TOLD NEWS NINE THIS MORNINGTHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET SOMEOF THE CARS OUT THAT WATER CAMEIN SO QUICKLY, THEY HAD TOLEAVE.THE WATER IS NOT RECEDING AND ISTURNING TO ICE IN FREEZINGTEMPERATURES.>> I HAVE HEARD THAT THIS HASHAPPENED BEFORE IN THE PAST.I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS.CHERISE: SOME STUDENTS WEREEVACUATED FROM THEIR APARTMENTSNEARBY IN PLYMOUTH ANDHOLDERNESS.>> I LOOKED OUT MY WINDOW ANDTHE CARS WERE UNDERWATER.CHERISE: ROUTE 175 A AND EXIT 25ON I-93 WERE ALSO FORCED TO SHUTDOWN EARLIER TODAY BECAUSE OFTHE FLOODING.BOTH REOPENED EARLIER THISEVENING.TO BLAME IS THIS FOR MILE ICEJAM ON THE PEMIGEWASSET.OFFICIALS DO NOT THINK THESITUATION WILL GET WORSEOVERNIGHT.>> I THINK THE WATER WILLPROCEED.CHERIS RIGHT NOW AT THIS HOUR,50 CARS ARE STILL STUCK HERE INTHE PARKING LOT.A NICE COATING OF ICE.THE TOW TRUCK COMPANY WILL TRY

Advertisement 4-mile ice jam causes flooding near Plymouth State University About 50 cars left in flooded parking lot Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The ice rink parking lot at Plymouth State University looked more like a pond than a parking lot after an ice jam on the Pemigewasset River caused flooding in the area. A thin coating of ice formed over the parking lot -- which was still full of water even 12 hours after the flooding began. Students at Plymouth State University told News 9 they received an alert around 8:30 a.m. telling them to move their cars from the parking lot behind the ice rink. About 50 cars did not get moved, and officials said some are submerged up to their windows. Freshman Savannah Sandell was home in Connecticut when her friends called her to warn her that they had to move her car. "He told me to move my car, but I was like, 'I don't have any keys there,'" Sandell said. Her black Jeep was one of the cars stranded in several feet of water. A towing company that surveyed the situation was able to get some of the cars out Sunday morning, but water came in so quickly that they had to leave. "I just got back, and it kind of sucks," Sandell said. "...I'm just going to leave it and let them tow it." Any hope of getting cars out Sunday night was dashed as the water did not recede and turned to ice in freezing temperatures. Some students were evacuated from their apartments in Plymouth and Holderness. "Look out my window and it's creeping up and there's cars underwater, so we were told to get all our stuff out in a couple hours," student Dave Minich said. "I've heard of this happening in the past, but I've never seen anything like this. This is pretty outrageous. This is insane," Minich said. The university released a statement Sunday evening regarding damaged cars, stating, "Students whose cars were damaged should file through their personal auto insurance, not the university. It is stated in the parking contracts students sign that this is the procedure for situations like this." Officials said the ice jam was about 4 miles long. Police and firefighters from Plymouth and Holderness closed Route 175A and Exit 25 on the southbound side of Interstate 93, but both were reopened by Sunday night. Police said an emergency shelter has been set up at Plymouth State. Fire officials said they don't think the situation will get worse overnight. "I don't think the ice jam is going to let loose. It's going to be too cold, but I think the river and water should recede," Holderness Fire Chief Eleanor Mardin said.