About 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, an EF-5 tornado ripped through Tuscaloosa, Ala., leaving many residents homeless and destroying businesses on McFarland Boulevard and 15th Street.
“There were people stuck under debris and yelling for help,” University of Alabama student Adam Melton said. “We went over and helped as many as we could. It’s just, everything has been completely demolished. The houses are gone, the business are gone. It’s something that I’ll never be able to forget.”
The University reported no structural damage campus. Most damage occurred southeast of campus.
As of Thursday evening, 37 were confirmed dead in Tuscaloosa, while the death count of the entire state of Alabama has increased to 204, with nearly 100 more in surrounding areas. The University confirmed two of the deaths were students.
President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in Alabama. Obama plans to visit Tuscaloosa on Friday.
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said Wednesday that search and rescue was the city’s main priority, which was why cleaning up the damage has yet to begin.
“We are in an urgent phase of search and rescue,” Maddox said. “This going to be a very, very long process. The amount of damage that is done is beyond a nightmare.”
Much of the city remains without power or cable as of Thursday evening while rescue efforts take first priority.
Gas stations inside the city with power were swamped with traffic Wednesday night and Thursday. As of Thursday afternoon, few gas stations still had fuel left.
Soon after the tornado hit on Wednesday, the University converted the Student Recreation Center into a refuge for students who needed a safe place to stay overnight.
On Thursday, the Student Rec Center also became an information center the University encouraged students or parents to contact for answers about the status of loved ones.
The University canceled school for the semester. For each class, students can choose to take exams at a later date or accept their current grade without a final. The University’s May graduation commencement, originally scheduled for May 7, has been postponed to August 6.
“These steps are being taken to allow students impacted by the storms to return to their homes while recovery efforts continue in the Tuscaloosa area,” a UA press release said.