Campus Alert Archive
Howard

A Severed Cable Leaves Howard Plaza Towers East in the Dark for a Week

DCpower outageadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

A contractor working on a demolition project behind Howard University's Interdisciplinary Research Building severed a Pepco power cable, cutting power to five campus buildings including Howard Plaza Towers East beginning September 18, 2024. Students endured a week of on-and-off outages — cold showers, dark hallways, broken elevators, and rooms reaching 80 degrees — until power was restored on September 25.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Howard University
Hbcu · DC
~12,000 studentsHU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction227 chars
Residents of Howard Plaza Towers East: A damaged electrical cable has caused a power outage affecting the building. Crews are working with Pepco to restore service. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from reporting that Howard communicated with residents by email about the outage; the exact wording of the notice was not published.
The cause described — a damaged Pepco cable severed during a demolition project — is documented by WTOP, WJLA, and The Hilltop.
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction243 chars
Update: Restoration of power to Howard Plaza Towers is ongoing. Planned outages are necessary to complete repairs and install generators. We understand this situation is difficult and are working to restore full service as quickly as possible.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from the university's email messaging that described the situation as out of its control and from reporting on planned outages and generator installation.
Classified as an update because power had not been fully restored; the outage continued intermittently through September 25.
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction214 chars
Update: Power, hot water, and air conditioning have been restored to Howard Plaza Towers. We appreciate your patience during this prolonged outage. Please report any remaining issues in your unit to Residence Life.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from reporting that hot water, air conditioning, and other amenities were restored on September 25, 2024 after a week of outages.
Functions as an all-clear because it confirms restoration of the failed utilities and lifts the disruption, while directing residents to report lingering problems.
Context

Background

Howard University is a flagship historically Black research university in Washington, D.C. Beginning around September 18, 2024, a contractor severed a Pepco power cable while working on a demolition project behind the Interdisciplinary Research Building, cutting power to five university buildings including the Howard Plaza Towers East dormitory. Power was periodically restored but failed repeatedly between September 18 and 25 as crews dealt with planned outages, generator installations, and system faults. Students reported a week of cold showers, dirty laundry, broken elevators, dark hallways and stairwells, Wi-Fi problems, generator exhaust fumes, and rooms reaching 80 degrees. Howard officials communicated by email that the "crippling" situation was out of their control as they dealt with a multimillion-dollar blackout affecting several buildings. Full service was restored on September 25. The case is a clear power-outage advisory example: not a sudden life-safety threat, but a prolonged habitability failure in a residence hall that tested the university's communication and accommodation response.
Analysis

Key Findings

A contractor severed a Pepco cable during a demolition project, cutting power to five campus buildings including Howard Plaza Towers East starting September 18, 2024
Outages were intermittent for roughly a week as crews ran planned outages and installed generators
Students reported cold showers, broken elevators, dark stairwells, generator fumes, and rooms reaching 80 degrees
Full power, hot water, and air conditioning were restored September 25, 2024
A power-outage advisory illustrating prolonged residence-hall habitability failure rather than an immediate threat; no verbatim notice text was published
Outcome
Power, hot water, and air conditioning were restored to Howard Plaza Towers on September 25, 2024, after generators were installed and the damaged cable repaired. Students pressed the university for accommodations and accountability.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Howard U. students call for accommodations after power outage takes out AC, hot water in dorms - WTOP
    wtop.com
  2. Student Paper
    Howard Students Recover From Week-Long Power Outages - The Hilltop
    thehilltoponline.com
  3. News
    No lights, no AC, and no hot water plagued Howard University students for days - WJLA
    wjla.com
Tags
power-outagehbcuwashington-dcresidence-hallinfrastructure-failurepepcohabitability
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion