Law School Spared in Ala. Tornadoes, But Students Cope with Destroyed Homes
The University of Alabama law school was spared from a tornado that devastated parts of Tuscaloosa, but some students studying for exams soon learned they had had to cope with lost or damaged homes.
After tornado warnings sounded on Wednesday, administrators moved students studying in the library to the school’s interior hallways, the National Law Journal reports. A video shot at the law school shows a large funnel cloud came close, but the building had no damage. Auxiliary generators kept some lights on when the power went out.
The school was able to account for all of its students, but some lost homes and had to spend the night at the school, the story says. Students organized to provide help. A list shows who has space for displaced students. A donation bin collected clothing and sandwiches were provided Thursday with the help of a student assembly line in the cafeteria.
Food was scarce when students staying at the school became hungry Wednesday evening, according to Will Booher, president of the Student Bar Association. Members decided to pick up some food.
“At first, people suggested that we just bring back a lot of chicken or something from the McDonalds—and it dawned on me that the McDonalds was gone,” Booher told the National Law Journal. Instead the students went to a nearby gas station to buy snacks and prepared sandwiches.
Additional coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Killer Tornadoes Devastate Multiple Areas in South, Take Roof Off Courthouse and Law Firm”
