Union Looks Back at Tornado 10 Years Later

Right now I’m standing in the center of where some of the worst damage from the 2008 tornado that hit Union University was…but looking back at its coming 10-year anniversary…it’s only made the campus’ students and faculty stronger.

Today…the school remembers that devastating storm…one that turned much of the young campus to rubble.

Union Communication Director Tim Ellsworth told NBC 39 the campus was just utter and complete devastation. I came back that night to campus after the tornado had hit, and buildings collapsed, just chaos with students trying to get other students out of buildings that were trapped.

This campus had suffered two smaller tornados prior to the one in September of 2008…but the most recent was so severe…emergency responders predicted at least 100 casualties.

Miraculously…everyone survived.

There was some kind of hole or some kind of protective place where students were protected…so the campus pulled together in the days after the tornado and i think really spotlighted what union university is really about.

Today…the campus community continues its day of service to commemorate the days after each of its tornados when the city joined in helping it recover.

After the 2008 tornado…the school was able to resume classes after just two weeks thanks to local organizations donating their spaces…and was even able to rebuild new dorms…which were hit hardest…in just months.

At a time when we desperately needed help, the jackson community was there for us…so we’re thankful for them, we’re thankful for the way that they have supported with us, and the partner that they’ve been with us and our work here, and we’re thankful to the lord for his protection…there’s no other way to explain other than god was watching over union university that night.