Tornado Damages Buildings at Kansas State U.

Kansas State University canceled classes today after a tornado whipped through the campus overnight, damaging buildings and leaving downed power lines and debris.

The storm damaged a building that houses the university’s nuclear-research reactor, though Kansas State told federal regulators early today that the reactor was undamaged, Reuters reported. The university’s Wind Erosion Laboratory was flattened in the storm, and other academic buildings and a fraternity were damaged as well.

The university said no injuries had been reported, but damages may exceed $20-million, the Wichita Business Journal said. “Roofs have been damaged or torn off, windows have been blown out in many buildings,” said Tom Rawson, Kansas State’s vice president for administration and finance, in a written statement.

Freshman orientation will continue today despite the storm damages, the university said in a news release. “Many of the students and parents who are attending orientation and enrollment are from out of town, so we felt it important to continue that program as scheduled,” said Bob Krause, vice president for institutional advancement, in a separate statement. —Kate Moser