John Robert Lewis Hall struck by lightning

Lightning struck the campus of Troy University on Thursday, causing an evacuation of John Robert Lewis Hall.

Around 10 a.m. Thursday, lightning struck the weather vane on top of John Robert Lewis Hall. Rumors were spread online that there was a fire inside the buildings. 

Addison Kemp, a freshman elementary education major, was someone who saw the rumors online and heard the rumors continue to circle by other students. 

“A girl in my math class came in saying that there were firetrucks on the quad,” Kemp said. 

“I opened YikYak and saw the rumors going around that JRL was on fire, and I began to wonder if they were true.” 

However, these rumors were quickly debunked by first responders as there was no evidence of a major fire inside the building. 

“We received a call that, after the lightning strike, there was a projector in one of the rooms that began smoking,” said Troy University Police Department (TUPD) Police Chief George Beaudry. “The fire department responded, and it appears that a lightning strike probably pushed the power surge through the facility.”  

There was no major damage to the building, but there were varied electrical issues inside. It was reported the power went out, which cut the AC and dropped the cell service inside the building.  

People walking by the building after the strike said they could smell the effects the lightning strike had on the building.  

“The smoke smell is very strong,” said Jacee Faulk, a freshman elementary education major from Tallassee, Alabama. It is the first thing I noticed when I walked by it. 

“I am glad that the building is OK because it is beautiful and the first thing you see when on the quad.” 

There was also a second lightning strike that hit Wallace Hall, creating issues for the on-campus news station TrojanVision before their 11:30 a.m. broadcast. These technical problems were temporary as the building did not lose power. 

Unlike John Robert Lewis, Wallace did not order an evacuation of the building. While it is unclear if there will be any lasting damage to either building at this time, both buildings were back to full operation later the same day.