Tornado hits College Park

Apr 2 , 2017
BY Michal Antonov

COLLEGE PARK, Md. A large-scale tornado hit College Park at 8:30 a.m.
There is no information as to where specifically the tornado has touched
down.

The mayor issued a press conference. As of now four people have been
killed. There has been no information yet about these victims. Four other
people are en route to Prince Georges County Hospital, but there is no
information on their conditions. There has been no update on how many
more people have been injured.

Four firefighters are trapped in the rubble in Mowatt Lane Garage after
responding to a call. Efforts are being made to get them out.

There has been extensive damage in the downtown area of College Park as
well as the University of Maryland campus. South Campus Commons has
some damage and power outages. Richie Coliseum has been completely
destroyed. Many other businesses on Route 1 have also been damaged.

There are also broken windows, down power lines, and fallen trees. The roads
remain impassable.

Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and first responders

from Baltimore County and Montgomery County are on their way. The
Maryland National Guard has also been called in. Volunteers from the
American Red Cross have also come to provide aid.

The 911 call center is going through a power outage but has a few
generators incoming calls might not go through or might be on hold.
However, those who are in need of assistance should still call 911. The
mayor said that callers should try to be patient.

There is a storm will go through the area. Weather services said that it is not
a tornado warning, but it could change and get worse.

The Adele H. Stamp Student Union has a working generator and is being
used as a shelter. The mayor said that people should shelter where they are,
but if conditions are safe they could get to Stamp. The mayor instructed to
get away from the windows and go into bathrooms or basements.

There was a tornado in 2012 that hit College Park but in the same area.
There were thousands of dollars in damages and 12 people were killed.
The mayor said that every effort is being to help those in need and that they
are taking it as it comes. Classes at the University of Maryland were
cancelled at 8 a.m. and the mayor said that students should stay where they
are. The mayor is going to meet with university President Wallace Loh to
discuss a plan of action for the university.
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