Residents of Commons 5 huddle against their building after they were evacuated for a probable false alarm in the midst of a rainstorm.
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South Campus Commons 5 residents faced a tough decision Sunday afternoon. As fire alarms blared, many reached the emergency exits and, upon seeing a sudden violent thunderstorm outside, hesitated.
“This had better not be a drill,” one student said before running out into the driving rain.
It was not a drill, but it did appear to be a false alarm, possibly related to a simultaneous power failure in the building, according to fire officials and a Commons community assistant.
Students fled to or were stranded in nearby buildings, including residents who were trying to move in or out. The rainstorm, which included tornado warnings and toppled trees and knocked out electricity throughout the Washington area, lasted approximately half an hour.
The fire alarm, however, remained blaring in Commons 5 at 5:30; it was unclear why.
Updates to follow.
-By Brady Holt and Leah Villanueva
UPDATE, 6:37 p.m.: Power is restored and the fire alarm is turned off. Still no definitive word on what happened.
UPDATE, 4:30 p.m. Monday: Prince George’s County Fire Department spokesman Mark Brady confirms a weather-related false alarm. A fire alarm in Commons 3 early Sunday was actually the result of a small fire in an elevator shaft.