Mother's Day Tornado and cleaned-up areas 3 weeks later


View from the back of the Student Life Center looking toward the Professional Sciences Center, now under construction.


After the area had been cleaned up three weeks later.

The tornado approached from the west in the darkness of early morning on Mother's Day, May 11, 2008. It roared across Ivey Drive and splashed across the lake, snapping and uprooting the bulk of our beautiful trees. But our buildings stood strong, sheltering not only our security officers who huddled from the storm, but also the intricate fabric of our college.

About 90 percent of our trees were damaged or destroyed. Our dedicated plant staff reported the exact number was 3,621 trees felled by or because of the EF2 tornado. They said an additional 251 ornamental shrubs were lost.

The 22 pictures on this page show how littered our campus was just hours after the 5:50 a.m. storm, and how it looked three weeks later after the debris had been cleaned up. Damage to our buildings was minor. Other than the gymnasium, which lost part of its roof, our buildings came through with only a few scratches. Classes resumed with generator-supplied electricity on Tuesday, power was restored to the campus on Wednesday and all buildings were reoccupied on Thursday. Only Monday classes were missed, and that day was made up on Friday. The Warner Robins Campus never missed a beat and remained in operation throughout the Macon Campus ordeal.

But the devastation to our green canopy of trees was terribly severe, and it will take some time before we once again enjoy so many acres of shade. Still, Macon State is much more than just a pretty picture of lovely trees and botanical gardens. It’s more than spacious parking lots, sturdy buildings, trails and tracks. It’s more than just a workplace or a collection of classrooms. It is an institution with sometimes-dull and sometimes-beautiful interrelated parts. Dulling the sheen of one part may lessen our luster, but it cannot diminish our purpose.

We will paint a new picture, and it will be even more spectacular than before. We are stronger than the winds that buffeted us and just as determined to deliver on the promise we make every day – Macon State will help build a better region by building a more educated workforce. No wind, no scratch, no temporary interruption of power can deter us. We are here, we are healthy and we are ready to serve.

(Before cleanup) This view looks west from the library toward the Jones Building.

After cleanup.

A few sheets of metal roofing came off the Student Life Center.

After cleanup.

Trees that once provided shade near the Administration Building parking lot were toppled or ripped apart.

After cleanup.

This view from the Student Life Center amphitheater looks toward the Professional Sciences Center, now under construction.

After cleanup.

A tree came down near the north entrance to the Library.

After cleanup.

A huge sycamore tree that once stood in the courtyard on the south side of the Humanities/Social Sciences building was uprooted.

After cleanup.

Work crews begin the task of sawing up toppled pine trees near the lake.

After cleanup.

Another view of downed trees looking to the west from near the Student Life Center.

After cleanup.

The worst structural damage was done to the Gymnasium, which lost a portion of its roof.

After cleanup.

Before the storm, Columbus Road could not be seen in the distance due to pine trees. But the storm thinned the tree canopy considerably.

After cleanup.