The Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis suffered moderate damage during severe weather in the St. Louis metropolitan area May 16. At approximately 2:45 p.m., the campus was hit by a possible tornado that damaged building roofs and concrete, took down multiple large trees that blocked roads, and triggered widespread power and technology outages.
“Most importantly, we are sending our thoughts and concern to all in the region who have been personally impacted by this storm, especially those dealing with the tragic loss of life or serious injury,” Chancellor Andrew D. Martin said. “At WashU, we are ‘in St. Louis and for St. Louis,’ and our hearts are with all who are hurting.”
“As to our campus, our team regularly conducts training to ensure that we will be ready to respond to a wide variety of potential emergencies,” said Nichol L. Luoma, executive vice chancellor for administration and chief administrative officer. “Living in St. Louis, we know severe weather is always a possibility, so this is a scenario we regularly practice. I’m proud of our team’s ability to mobilize and pull together the right people in a short time to address this potentially serious situation on campus.”
The WashU Medical Campus did not experience significant property damage and maintained normal operations. Medical personnel were fully engaged to provide emergency care for those who were injured in the storm.
Most WashU students were not on campus at the time of the storm due to summer break. Those who were present, along with faculty, staff and visitors, were instructed to seek shelter during the storm and provided with any needed support. There were no injuries reported on campus.
Community members are being asked to avoid the area around the Danforth Campus as much as possible while crews are working to address the damage.
Updates on campus status and services will be available at emergency.washu.edu.
