A deadly tornado that swept through Ruston, La., early Thursday has caused serious damage to the campus of Louisiana Tech University.
The Monroe News-Star reports that a mother and son in Ruston were killed in the storm; university officials say no serious student injuries have been reported so far, but there is serious damage to the university's athletic fields and trees down at Keeney and Hale halls.
"Several buildings do not have power, and trees and power lines are still down in many places," the university says on its Facebook page. "Parents: All our students on campus are safe. It might be a bit hard to reach students on their cell phones because of the number of calls right now."
Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone said the fatalities occurred in a house just off Interstate 20.
Tommy McClelland, athletic director at the Louisiana Tech, said on Twitter that the damage to athletic facilities is "severe."T
ech's softball stadium, soccer stadium and tennis courts suffered the most severe damage, and the baseball stadium and the track and field facilities sustained some damage,
Louisiana Tech President Les Guice says the university is still assessing damage. The campus is closed Thursday.
"Quite a few roads are blocked off around campus," Guice said on Twitter. "And it is very difficult to drive around campus. We ask people to stay off the roads unless necessary
All Lincoln Parish schools are also closed.
