Texas Tech students describe evacuation of campus

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Students we talked to Wednesday evening said there was some confusion, but generally things stayed calm when trying to get off-campus because of an explosion and fire.

Gianna Bass quickly noticed smoke rising from a man hole cover or drain when she walked outside.

“Oh it was absolutely insane. Because when I...I had left my dorm, there was a big thing of smog,” Bass said, initially thinking it may be a dust storm. “I started smelling something. And said, ‘wait...that’s not dust'. Oh there’s a big boom. What?”

Bass said she made it to the recreation center, near Main Street and Hartford Avenue, before eventually heading eastward, where we met her near 10th Street and University Avenue, across the street from Bledsoe Hall.

Mazzy Rall was in a study session at Holden Hall, near Memorial Circle, when the power went out.

“The power just went out. And the teachers told us we need to leave an evacuate the building,” Rall said. Once she and others were outside, she said they heard three loud booms then saw black smoke.

“I just thought…I just need to leave. You know, like get away from it all.” She was parked nearby and was able to quickly drive off-campus.

Katie Duncan was with her roommate at their dorm in Gates Hall, which is just north of 19th Street, west of Boston Avenue.

“All the power was out. And then everyone...people start running outside and everything. It’s really freaky.”

Kevin Allen was leaving the Student Disabilities Services building near Broadway and University Avenue, walking toward the Student Union Building.

“Right after I got there, there were four different explosions,” Allen said. “Cops everywhere. And students running around, trying to figure out what was going on.”

Allen said he is concerned there was not enough communication as everything unfolded.

“And the fact that you had students walking toward the explosions, I think that’s a huge red flag,” Allen said.

Former KCBD meteorologist Robert Gauthreaux III, who is finishing his Ph.D. at Tech, was working on a project in the Architecture Building on the southwestern part of the academic buildings, near 18th and Flint. He said initially someone was stuck on an elevator near the eighth floor during the power outage. He and other students talked with that person, trying to figure a way to help them.

Gauthreaux first saw videos of the green flames coming up from a manhole, then later walked outside and saw smoke climbing about 200 feet into the air. He later walked eastward through the dark campus, toward the library.

“People I was passing were in good spirts. Everyone had the flashlight on their phone.

“I sat in the courtyard with the new furniture outside, by the SUB and library. A lot of students were just talking. One guy was playing guitar,” Gauthreaux said.

Cort Koester faced a midnight deadline for an online midterm. He said what he initially thought might be a utility disruption to his room or hallway at Stangel Hall, near 15th and Flint, wouldn’t stop him.

“Lost connection, lost power, lost wifi,” Koester described. “Lights flickered, just disappeared.”

But he still made sure to complete the exam.

“Turned on my hotspot, finished the exam, started responding to people, letting people know I’m ok.”

Later Wednesday night, students we spoke with were trying to craft plans for the night.

Bradley Williams was off-campus when the power outage first occurred. He returned to get things from his dorm room.

“To grab all my stuff pretty much spend the night at a friend’s place,” Williams said.

In the 10 p.m. hour, Tech announced students who live on-campus could remain in the residence halls for the night.

Garrison Huskisson was contemplating another option than the dark campus with no air conditioning.

“Not sure, I’ll probably go to my grandma’s house or stay at a friend’s apartment, we’ll see,” Huskisson said.

There was a celebratory mood when we were around a couple dozen students when one received a Tech Alert phone call. The students had just learned spring break begins now.