Western Carolina University students received a late night surprise on Thursday, April 28, as a tornado warning put the Cullowhee area on high alert. Students living on campus filled the bottom floors of their dorms and waited out the storm. According to Tammi Hudson, WCU’s emergency management director, the university’s siren system was activated at about 12:10 a.m. Students were all moved to safety by about 12:20 a.m. The tornado warning was lifted at about 1:15 a.m.
Though there was no tornado in Cullowhee or Sylva, weather reports say there was a funnel cloud sighting in Glenville, which is south of Cullowhee. No significant damages were reported to the campus as a result of the storm.
This was a part of the massive storm that hit the southern region of the United States, causing major destruction in six states and leaving Alabama devastated. According to CNN, about 250 deaths have been reported so far.
Marcelo Maia contributed in the reporting.
