"We were all surprised that there wasn't more damage," said Petersen, who called donor families to inform them of the situation. "We assured them that any damage can be repaired. They were very relieved and grateful."

A state risk management team has already been on site to photograph the damage and begin the process of determining what happens next and who pays for the needed repair work.

DSC Dixie President Lee Caldwell said the state's quick response is appreciated.

"A lot of folks at the state level have taken a vested interest in helping us recover from this."

Not all of the DSC Dixie art collection was in the storage room at the time of the accident. Nearly half of it is on display in buildings throughout the campus. The collections room will be thoroughly cleaned to ensure there is no lasting effect from the water damage, Petersen said.

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E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com