VIDEO: Tornadoes Hit Shaw University
Our prayers go out to all the North Carolina natives, especially to the students of Shaw University. Shaw University is a Historically Black College and University located in Raleigh, North Carolina which was the center of multiple tornadoes this past weekend. The National Weather Service received unconfirmed reports of at least 10 deaths in all, and more than 70 tornado sightings in 19 counties.
“More than likely we had eight tornadoes in North Carolina,” said Gail Hartsfield, a meteorologist in the weather service Raleigh office.
Glenn Parson, a freelance photographer who works at Covidien pharmaceutical company, was in his house on Serendipity Drive in northeast Raleigh about 4 p.m., when he started to worry.
“The house started rocking,” Parson said. “I heard that sound, you hear about it, and I said, ‘Man, that is very deep.”
The storm caused much more damage and affected the local residents and students who attend Shaw University. The roof blew off of Shaw University’s student center. A sophomore, Julius Stukes Jr., provided a first-hand look at the destruction on campus caused by a fatal storm system that ripped across North Carolina.
He shot breathtaking video moments after the storm that did its damage to the students “home away from home,” their campus.
“Glass is broken everywhere,” Stukes says at one point in the video. “I don’t know if you can see with my camera, trees broken and everything. Glass is everywhere — everybody’s windows are busted open.”
“It’s got leaks … All of the offices are done. Oh my God, this used to be an office — it’s not anymore.”
“Our campus is done,” Stukes said. “The whole campus is done.”
As a result of the damage, the University has suspended classes for the rest of the spring semester.
“While we exist to educate these young men and women, our first priority is their safety and well being,” Shaw President Dr. Irma McClaurin said in a written statement. “With this widespread damage, we could not resume operations in time to continue classes over the next two weeks.”
It seems like Mother Nature is very unpredictable. Please keep North Carolina and the students enrolled at Shaw University in your prayers.
by: Sandra J
Loading ...
