08/25/10 ks, local

HAYS, Kan. -- Classes were in session Tuesday morning as usual and there were no reports of injuries despite a violent storm late Monday evening that caused widespread damage on the campus of Fort Hays State University.

"We were very fortunate that no one was hurt and that damage was not severe enough to interfere with normal operations," said Dr. Edward H. Hammond, FHSU president. He speculated, though, that the storm might have included some tornadic winds given the evidence of twisted tree trunks.

The high winds toppled large trees and left tree branches strewn far and wide across the campus. The worst damage occurred at one of the residence halls, Wiest Hall, where the winds ripped off a major portion of the roof and caused flooding inside the building. Several cars in the adjacent parking lot -- more than a dozen, at least -- were damaged by blowing debris.

The residential director at Wiest Hall said nearly all the residents were able to stay in their rooms after custodial crews assisted with mopping up water.

There were also reports of water that had blown into some other buildings on campus. Custodial crews worked overnight to clean up the water, and maintenance crews also worked overnight to remove tree limbs and repair damage.

Lightning strikes interrupted power to a third of the campus, including six buildings on the Quad, but with the help of Midwest Energy, power had been restored to all classroom buildings by 3:30 a.m., long before classes were due to begin in the morning.

The only building that remained without power on Tuesday morning was the administration building, Sheridan Hall. It was closed for the day until replacement electrical parts could be retrieved from out of town.

President Hammond said the storm also knocked down part of the fence in the backyard of his residence on campus. Damage was also reported at the university's football complex, Lewis Field Stadium.

The low-water bridge between the main campus and the U.S. 183 Bypass remained open to traffic during and after the storm.