While power is out across half of Ruston, the Louisiana Tech campus is also recovering from significant damage suffered from a tornado that ripped through the area around two this morning.
Tech President Les Guice says thankfully the tornado skirted the edge of the core academic buildings, but the residential halls weren’t so lucky.
“The biggest impacts were on our residential facilities, and obviously that’s supporting our students. If you drive around campus you’ll see cars that have been blown around off of parking lots and into fields.”
Most of the campus still has power, but classes have been canceled today and tomorrow to allow students to recover, and check in on family.
Despite the heavy damage, which Guice says may create long term roofing issues, the President celebrated the fact that everyone on campus appears to have avoided the worst.
“All of our students and our faculty and staff are safe, no one was seriously injured. There were some minor scratches and abrasions due to flying glass, but all of them are safe.”
The pictures from the campus are startling, with trees ripped up by the roots, and debris littering the grounds. Guice says walking the halls and fields that are usually teeming with students was heart-wrenching.
“It was pretty emotional. We work everyday to try to make this a special place, and then you see it get torn apart. It’s pretty traumatic.”
The students and community have begun recovery efforts, and the entire campus will need to be cleared of debris, as even old trees have been uprooted. Guice says one of those locals pitching in is none other than Bulldogs basketball legend, The Mailman himself, Karl Malone.
“Karl has logging equipment and gear, and he said I’m here, and I’m not going to leave until your needs are met, so he’s out around cleaning up some of the debris here.”
The Louisiana National Guard is on it’s way to the city.
