Six pianos belonging to Hancher Auditorium and the University of Iowa School of Music were damaged in a small flood early Tuesday morning.

Ten pianos — seven from the School of Music and three from Hancher — saved from the 2008 flood were being stored in a rental space at 209 N. Linn St. The inner workings of the pianos received the most damage as water came through the upstairs ceiling, UI spokesman Tom Moore said.

Five pianos from the School of Music were damaged including a severely damaged 1979 Steinway Model D, Moore said.

"It was truly the gem of the collection," Moore said, and the piano would cost roughly $120,000 to replace.

Moore said a restoration specialist will be hired to see if the piano can be salvaged.

The suspected cause of the flood, which only produced around an inch of water on the ground floor, was a burst water pipe, Moore said. An Iowa City police officer discovered the flooding at 1 a.m. Tuesday.

— by Kristen East