The Alabama State University community is picking up the pieces this week after a powerful storm system tore through campus on Monday, Jan. 26, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The storm, which peaked between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., brought high-velocity winds that uprooted decade-old trees, damaged historic residential halls, and scattered symbols of Greek life across the grounds.
Chaos at Bessie Estelle and Peyton Finley
The most visible damage occurred in the residential corridor near Bessie Estelle Hall and the Peyton Finley Apartments. Students reported a deafening roar as a massive tree succumbed to the wind, crashing down onto several parked vehicles.
The impact was devastating; three cars were significantly damaged, with one officially declared a total loss.
“It happened so fast,” said one resident who witnessed the aftermath. “One minute, the wind was howling, and the next, there’s a tree crushing the roof of a car like it was paper. It’s a miracle no one was inside those vehicles at the time.”
In response to the incident, university maintenance crews began clearing debris and proactively cutting down other vulnerable trees in the area to prevent a repeat of Monday’s disaster.
Campus-Wide Impact
The destruction was not limited to the dorms. Reports surfaced of roof damage on several campus structures, and the university’s cherished Greek Plots — symbolic markers of the Divine Nine’s history at the university — were not spared. Strong gusts ripped some of the plots from the ground, tossing them across the campus lawn.
Maintenance staff spent the afternoon chasing down runaway trash cans and clearing litter whipped into a frenzy by 70+ mph wind gusts.
The National Weather Service confirmed that the Montgomery area faced a combination of straight-line winds and a “flash freeze” during the Monday window. The university has issued a statement urging students to remain “weather aware” as a cold front follows the storm, bringing dangerously low temperatures through the end of the week.
After watching the weather reports build up over the weekend, the university community was grateful for the administration’s decision to close school on Monday. This precautionary move prioritized student safety, ensuring that while cars and plots were damaged, our Hornet family remained unhurt.
