TORNADO COVERAGE: SPECIAL EDITION
THE A&T
FREE
VOLUME CII NO 19
REGISTER NCATREGISTER.COM
YARD, CULUTRE AND WORD EDITORS
East Greensboro suffered severe damage on Sunday, April 15, after a thunderstorm and tornado ripped through the 4 mile radius between Barbara Park and Phillips Avenue; this tornado was category EF2 (see category explanation on pg. 3). The devastation of the storm has displaced many families, students and members of the community. Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged as the storm traveled through the city. One person was killed after a tree struck his car on Sunday. Multiple city streets have been closed off due to fallen trees and power lines. Duke Energy said about 43,000 customers currently lack power in North Carolina. Late Sunday afternoon, University Communications notified staff and students through an AggieAlert and an e-mail that Guilford County was under tornado watch. Shortly after the watch, a tornado was sighted near U.S. 29 and Gate City Boulevard and a warning was then issued. Initially N.C. A&T informed that there were power outages in Aggie Terrace, Aggies Suites, Pride Hall, 1020 E. Wendover Ave, Campus Evolution, Sebastian Villages, the University Farm, Bryan Fitness Center and the Joint School of Nanoengineering and Nanoscience. “Fortunately our campus did not suffer any structural damage to any buildings on campus. However, there were several buildings that experienced loss of power. For most of the
buildings on the main campus, power has been restored,” said Chief Charles E. Wilson, University Police Department. Although power was restored to on-campus facilities, several offcampus student housing complexes like Sebastian Villages, Campus Evolution, Collegiate Commons, Campus East and Campus Edge continue to lack power and hot water. “There are about 850 students that live in Sebastian altogether give or take, but only 300 were affected for the longest,” said Darrieon Millner, Community ambassador for the Sebastian Complexes. Email released from University Communication: Students in housing currently without power have three options for showers: Students may go to a same-sex friend’s residence hall to use showers Students may shower at the Campus Fitness Center After 10:30 a.m., students may also shower in the lower-level of Corbett Meal Options Students in leased housing will be able to dine in Williams Dining Hall through Wednesday, April 18, free of charge. You must
APRIL 18, 2018
WEDNESDAY
present your Aggie One Card to be verified. Due to the devastation, there are multiple places around the community that are offering food and sheltering for those who were impacted. St. James Baptist Church-- 536 Florida Avenue New Light Missionary Baptist Church-- 1105 Willow Road Hungry Church-- 801 Post Street Mount Zion Baptist Church-1301 Alamance Church Road Interactive Resource Center-407 E. Washington James B. Dudley High School-- 1200 Lincoln Street There are also numerous street closings around Greensboro that will affect students and faculty alike for the days to come. Holts Chapel Road, just south of Market Street Wendover Avenue east bound, just east of Elwell Avenue to Huffman Mill Road Elwell Avenue, from Wendover Avenue to Phillips Avenue Market Street, just east of Sykes Avenue to Lowdermilk Street Bessemer Avenue, just east of Sykes Avenue to Elwell Avenue Phillips Avenue, west of Elwell Avenue McConnell Road, from S. English Street to Franklin Boulevard Banner Avenue from McConnell Road to Holts Chapel Road East Florida Street, from Willow Road to Gate City Boulevard The extensive damage has left many in need of assistance. If you would like to help, contact Greensboro’s City Center at (336) 373-2489.
Top five worst tornadoes in NC We have several Aggies who are natives of North Carolina, but some of them have never seen or experienced a tornado. However, that does not speak to whether or not tornadoes have taken place. Aside from Sunday’s catastrophe, there have been many tornado-ridden storms right here in North Carolina. With the frequency of tornadoes spiking in the 1990s, they have since increased though tornado-related deaths have decreased due to improved forecasting and earlier warnings. Below are the top 5 worst tornadoes that have occurred in North Carolina. 1.) One of the most deadly tornado outbreaks in North Carolina occurred March 28, 1984. There were 22 tornadoes that touched down in North and South Carolina 1200 people were injured, 42 deaths. 2.) Three of the deadliest tornadoes in
NC occurred on April 16, 2011 -- one of North Carolina’s most active years. One occurred in Hoke County with a death toll of 2 and 176 injuries. There was
another in Moore county with 6 dead and 103 injured. The third most deadly was in Bertie County. There were 12 deaths and 58 injuries.
3.) On February 19, 1884, a deadly tornado roared through Anson and Richmond counties killing 23 people and injuring 100. 4.) In Greensboro on April 3, 1936, a violent tornado caused 1.5 million dollars worth of damage with a death toll of 14 and 144 injured. 5.) Striking the northwest part of Raleigh, New Hope, Justice, Ita, Halifax, and Jackson, a funnel on November 28, 1988 killed 4 people and injured a grand total of 154. Whether this is your permanent home or not, it helps to know what safety precautions you should take. See page 3 to learn how you can stay safe and protect yourself during a tornado storm. Elaijah Gibbs-Jones, Jasmin Hooks and Victoria Turner contributed to this article.
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2 The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Caption of destruction
The A&T Register Editorial Staff is deeply saddened by the tornado that ripped through parts of Greensboro Sunday April 15,2018. These visuals are of real life victims and volunteers in the community who have come together to provide relief from this natural disaster. Although we may not have been impacted directly as students, we can only imagine what it feels like to be among those families at this time. We send our condolences and deep gratitude in this time of discernment, and hope that the families impacted recover within sustainable time.
Photo by|Naee Anderson Photo Editor
Debris, fallen trees and broken power lines cover Queen Beth Drive.
Photo by|Naee Anderson Photo Editor
A house was destroyed on Nealtown Road when a tree crashed in the middle of it.
Photo by|Zila Sanchez Word Editor
Car buried under an uprooted tree on Apache Street by Hampton Elementary.
Photo by|Naee Anderson Photo Editor
A woman reflects on the destruction of her home on Nealtown Road.
Photo by|Naee Anderson Photo Editor
Two vehicles covered in debris and shattered glass on Avalon Road.
Photo by|Naee Anderson Photo Editor
A family sifts through their belongings in the bedroom of their two story home on Everitt Street.
Photo by|Naee Anderson Photo Editor Photo by|Elaijah Gibbs-Jones Yard Lead Reporter
An abandoned dog in front of a deserted house on Apache Street.
Demolished trees scattered across the yard of home on Avalon Drive.
Photo by|Naee Anderson Photo Editor
Neighborhood on Avalon Drive completely destroyed with debris in road.
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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 18, 2018
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What are they? How can we help? What are tornadoes and how do they form? A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Since wind is invisible, it’s hard to see a tornado unless it forms a funnel made of water droplets, dust and debris. Tornadoes are the most violent of all storms. Tornadoes can form during any season, but most occur during the spring and summer months. Most also strike between 3 and 9 p.m, though they can happen any time of the day. “Tornadoes occur in association with thunderstorms, as well as in the walls of a hurricane. They are common occurrences in North America, where about 75 percent of annual tornadoes globally will occur. The peak of tornadic activity is May,” said David Harris, geography professor.
Know the signs of a tornado Weather forecasting is not always perfect. It is critical to know when a storm can turn into a tornado. Some things to look and listen for: • Whirling dust/debris on the ground (sometimes tornadoes have no visible funnel). • Hail or heavy rain followed by a calm period or an intense wind shift. Many tornadoes are correlated with heavy precipitation and can’t be seen. • Loud, continuous roar/rumble that sounds too long to be thunder. • Lowering of a cloud base with flashes of lightning. • Bright blue/green to white flashes at ground level. This could mean power lines are likely being snapped by very strong winds.
Know your terms Tornado Watch: a tornado(es) is possible. Move near a shelter or sturdy building to be able to get there quickly in a few minutes if there is a Warning. Be mindful of approaching storms. Watch the sky, and stay tuned to your radio or television for more information. Tornado Warning: a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Take shelter immediately.
Volunteering opportunities ALLISON GILMORE Lead Reporter
The tornado has hit the community hard, and Aggies are coming together to rebuild their community. These are locations still in need of donated items or volunteers. Moore Gym Suite 120 April 18 – 30, 2017 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Item donation: toiletries, nonperishable food, blankets, socks, medical supplies, school supplies, baby items, etc. 825 W Gate City Blvd Item donation: Food and clothes 2517 Phillips Ave Item donation: Food and clothes 709 E Market St; Luxe Lounge Item donation: Food, clothes, water, nonperishable items 1822 Sharpe Rd; New Jerusalem Cathedral Item donation: Clothes 3512-C E Wendover Ave Item donation: Clothes, shoes, water, blankets, nonperishable food WFMY News 2; #2Cares bkimvolunteers to help with clean-up, a donation of money or food, or even nominal gift cards for essentials
1500 Yanceyville St; the Volunteer Center April 18th 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Volunteers to call members of the community to inform them about tornado relief efforts 2806 Randle Rd Suite C; The Grace Movement 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Volunteers needed to help with childcare services 107 Grovecrest Way; The Reserve Item donation: nonperishable food items and clothes. 1105 Willow Street Need drivers to deliver food 2207 East Cone Blvd; Evangel Fellowship: Power Play Center April 18 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Item donation: bottled water, nonperishable pop-top food items, toiletries, flashlights, batteries, etc. 1523 Barto Pl. Unit A April 18 6:45 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Item donation: nonperishable pop-top food items and bottled water for GCS families.
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The A&T Register | ncatregister.com | Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Words from those affected
I was on a train coming back from Virgina while Guliford County was under tornado warning. My train was stopped multiple times on the way back to campus. There really wasn't a reason for them to continuing stopping the train for the storm. The tornado warning was limited to 11:00 p.m. because of the tornado my arrival time was pushed back. That Sunday night I sat on the stopped train for four hours, just waiting to return back to Greensboro. Marcellus Farber, sophomore
I wasn’t around when it happened but when we went to check on our rented houses on the East side of Greensboro it was a speechless moment for us. Growing up over there was the best days and even when I moved from over there I still went over there just to have fun. The childhood experience was wonderful and for it to look the way it does breaks my heart. My mom and I decided to check on our rented houses because that’s our job. We took pictures of everything of that nature. We then walked the street of Ardmore Drive and there was a tree down on top of a house and my Mom decided to go in to make sure everyone was good. Knocked on door no one came to the front or the back so we walked in and we (saw) a lady deceased from the tree. Thats a memory that will forever be in the back of my head and a memory I never want to forget. Victoria Harrison, sophomore
“I’m from St. Louis, Missouri, located in tornado alley. We experience at least 2-3 tornados a year, so when I heard about a possible tornado in Greensboro, I didn’t really panic. The tornado just did not seem like a big deal to me. I never saw the sky turn green or purple, so I just brushed it off and told my panicking peers to stay away from the windows. A lot of us from the Midwest were taking light of the situation. It wasn’t until I saw the damage that I really understood the multitude of the situation. For a place that never experiences this type of natural disaster, and for the main areas to be hit where black and Hispanic people live, I was completely hurt. I had to say to myself, “You’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy,” and try to figure out where I can help.” Allison Gilmore, sophomore
“I was coming home from work when I saw the aftermath. I was supposed to get off work at 4 p.m., but I ended up having to stay until 5. I had just missed the tornado. Driving down East Market Street, the stop lights weren’t working, all of the stores I passed by were completely dark inside. As (we) drove further down, we could see signs from warehouses on the ground, power lines were uprooted, trees were fallen; it was a total mess. When we drove into my complex, there were car windows shattered, glass all over the place, and our power was out. We were told that the tornado was so severe, a transformer near my apartment was ripped apart. We will be without power for the next couple of days.” Jocelyn Jones, senior
This edition was contributed by Patrick Battle, Jazmine Gathers, Jasmine Hooks, Alexis Wray, Brittany Van Pelt, Zila Sanchez, Jocelyn Jones, Victoria Turner, Naee Anderson, Elaijah Gibbs-Jones, Amanda Crumbley, Allison Gilmore, Kyla Clarke and Raechelle Price Wheeler.