2008 Woodie Awards
Storms affect returning students
Rachel Harper
Issue date: 3/16/06 Section: Features
Students coming back to Central Sunday had to drive through heavy rains, high winds and even hail. Between the hours of 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., students had to evacuate dorms four times as tornado warning sirens went off.
While there was no direct damage to campus, numerous students were affected. Some had trouble driving on roads with the heavy downpours, while others experienced the tornados first hand.
Chester Luckenbill, student, stood outside in the parking lot of his apartment and watched a large funnel cloud pass.
"I thought, any minute the apartment next to us was going to start falling apart," Luckenbill said. "We were standing in the parking lot when we saw this big wall cloud outlined in white, peeking around the corner of the neighboring apartment. Then we seen the whole thing.
"It was a huge funnel cloud that was only about twenty feet off the ground and definitely rotating."
Students working on their studies inside the library were evacuated to the basement until the "all clear" was given.
A tornado also touched down just south of Hughesville, tearing up trees and taking shingles off houses.
"I was outside while working on the horse waterer when there was a sudden drop in pressure," said Bret Knight, resident of Hughesville. "I looked at my dad and asked if he thought we should go to the house. His reply was 'Yes!'"
They went to the house and stood at the front door while the other family members went to the basement for safety. Knight and his father watched the funnel cloud pass over one house and drop in their front yard.
"The tornado dropped in the front yard and took the pecan tree," Knight said. "You could see shingles flying off the roof, but the tornado never hit the house, it went on down the road."
Even though Warrensburg was in the line of many possible tornados and severe storms, citizens can be thankful no major damage was caused.
While there was no direct damage to campus, numerous students were affected. Some had trouble driving on roads with the heavy downpours, while others experienced the tornados first hand.
Chester Luckenbill, student, stood outside in the parking lot of his apartment and watched a large funnel cloud pass.
"I thought, any minute the apartment next to us was going to start falling apart," Luckenbill said. "We were standing in the parking lot when we saw this big wall cloud outlined in white, peeking around the corner of the neighboring apartment. Then we seen the whole thing.
"It was a huge funnel cloud that was only about twenty feet off the ground and definitely rotating."
Students working on their studies inside the library were evacuated to the basement until the "all clear" was given.
A tornado also touched down just south of Hughesville, tearing up trees and taking shingles off houses.
"I was outside while working on the horse waterer when there was a sudden drop in pressure," said Bret Knight, resident of Hughesville. "I looked at my dad and asked if he thought we should go to the house. His reply was 'Yes!'"
They went to the house and stood at the front door while the other family members went to the basement for safety. Knight and his father watched the funnel cloud pass over one house and drop in their front yard.
"The tornado dropped in the front yard and took the pecan tree," Knight said. "You could see shingles flying off the roof, but the tornado never hit the house, it went on down the road."
Even though Warrensburg was in the line of many possible tornados and severe storms, citizens can be thankful no major damage was caused.