Jacksonville State assessing tornado damage

Published Mar. 23, 2018 5:49 p.m. ET

(STATS) - Jacksonville State's athletic director expressed relief that the university was in the midst of spring break this week when a possible tornado swept through the small city in northeast Alabama Monday night.

Officials were assessing major storm damage Tuesday morning, including roofs ripped off buildings, destroyed apartments and trees and cars overturned. Electricity was out around the Jacksonville area, some roads were impassable and the Anniston Star reported there were at least four injured people.

AD Greg Seitz thanked well-wishers and wrote on Twitter, "We are still surveying all of the damage to campus and can confirm major roof damage to Logan Hall and Patterson Hall. Numerous trees and power lines are down. I'm very thankful JSU is on spring break this week and most students are out of town."

Jacksonville, located about 80 miles east of Birmingham, has a population of about 13,000. The public university, where much of the damage was centered, has about 8,500 students.

Jacksonville State announced only physical plant and emergency first responders were authorized to be on campus Tuesday.

The Gamecocks' football program has developed into one of the best in the FCS, going undefeated in the Ohio Valley Conference the last four seasons. Spring football practices were scheduled to resume after spring break.