As all the Jayhawk nation knows by now, a ferocious wind storm hit campus on Sunday, March 12. It pummeled 74 of the Mount Oread campus buildings, destroyed 100 trees, blew out windows in buildings and cars, twisted the KJHK radio tower, cracked red roof tiles and hurtled them across lawns, and knocked out our electrical power for the better part of the day. In the storm's wake, we were left with $6 million to $7 million in damages.
In the days that followed, we have learned many things -- about microbursts, line storms, roof membranes and a host of lessons about the art of triage in the face of disaster.
The microburst was among a wave of storms that dealt death and destruction across the Midwest. We are thankful for just how lucky we were and realize how much worse it could have been.
The nightmare storm picked the most forgiving of times to arrive. On a Sunday morning at 8:10 a.m., the hallways of Marvin Hall were empty so no one risked being assaulted by flying chunks of window glass that embedded in interior walls. The parking lot at Templin Hall was empty of people though full of cars when a rooftop AC unit hurtled down.
Miraculously, no one was seriously hurt nor seriously injured. How different it would have been at another hour, another day of the week.
We also learned once again how deeply the KU community and other friends care about this university and each other.
Doug Riat, director of Facilities Operations, arrived on campus right after the storm hit. He said one look at the ravaged campus and he knew what he needed. "We couldn't do anything without people," he said. Indeed.
Phone lines were down across the city. A plea went out on radio and TV for all FO employees to report to KU. They did. By late morning, 150 to 200 landscapers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, housekeepers and others were at work clearing streets and sidewalks and hauling away debris. They did so until dark, got up the next day and did it again. The transformation of the campus in 48 hours was stunning. Who hasn't remarked what an incredible job the FO staff did?
Public Safety, Student Housing, Design and Construction Management and other staff from across the university arrived that morning, too, and set to work on priorities: lock down the campus, restore power, assess damage, take care of students, and do whatever was needed to protect damaged roofs from the threat of rain. By Sunday afternoon, more than 400 people were hard at work helping Mount Oread recover.
I am struck by the many stories of responsibility and caring.
Schuyler Bailey of the Public Safety Office saw the storm hit before 8 at Lone Star Lake, where he was helping chaperone boy scouts on a camp out. His first instinct: call the office and warn them that trouble was headed our way.
Barb Wilson, dining center manager for GSP, a volunteer for the Red Cross, spent Sunday helping set up and run a shelter in town. But she made time to call and encourage her KU coworkers, who faced the task of fixing meals in the dark in GSP's kitchen -- with no windows for light and no power for electricity.
Lynn Bretz, Director of University Relations, did an outstanding job in difficult conditions of keeping the world fully informed, and her talents helped me put together this report.
Doug Carter, electrician for student housing, "worked his tail off all day Sunday," says Diana Robertson, interim director of housing. Then on Monday Doug learned that his two brothers near Springfield, Mo., had lost everything in the brutal storm there. Our thoughts are with Doug and his family.
KU received offers of help from sister institutions -- K-State, Emporia State, the Universities of Iowa, Nebraska, Tulsa, Texas, and others -- as well as from many in Lawrence, like Victor Torres, city Neighborhood Resources office, who volunteered to help inspect buildings for signs of damage.
Legislators and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius sent messages of assistance. The governor threw us a life line, too: she has pledged to request funding for the costs of repair and clean up.
Like you, I've received emails with "Are you OK?" in the subject line and phone messages expressing concern. Alumni, too, have not only asked are we OK, but also how they can help. They inspired KU Endowment to create a special fund for repair of damages.
Thank you all. For your pride in our campus. For your concern for the well-being of our students and coworkers. For showing up and stepping up when duty called. The consequences of the storm are yet to fully play out. But whatever the cost, whatever the loss, we have a great deal for which to be thankful.
Bob Hemenway
Chancellor
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