Student Housing Business reports on the aftermath of last week’s tornado outbreak in the Southeast.
Tuscaloosa, Ala. — In the wake of last week’s deadly tornado outbreak in the Southeast, we are beginning to get a clearer picture of the damage sustained. The storms, especially those that ravaged Alabama, caused untold millions in property damage and the death toll continues to climb as missing persons are identified.
After contacting various owners and operators of student housing properties across the Southeast, Student Housing Business has learned that the student housing properties in the region suffered relatively minor damage in the storms. Education Realty Trust reported some minor roof damage to a community in Knoxville, Tenn., and Peak Campus Management reported some minor damage to its Huntsville, Ala., property, which also lost power.
The Dinerstein Companies reported some broken windows to its new community, Sterling Crimson, that it is constructing in Tuscaloosa. In fact, the tornado barely missed the new community as it tore through town. After losing power and phone service, the community’s leasing office is open again and set to receive its certificate of occupancy in time for summer move-ins.
However, Misti Morales, Dinerstein’s marketing director, says that since the University is ordering all on-campus students who have not already left town to move out of their dorms by the end of the week, it remains to be seen how leasing in town will be affected during the summer. Students may reconsider staying in town, and others may be now looking for new housing.
The campus of the University of Alabama suffered little damage from the tornado outbreak, but the same cannot be said for the surrounding community. Several students died as a result of the tornado and parts of town were completely leveled. The University of Alabama’s student newspaper, The Crimson White, has done a great job of covering the storm’s aftermath and has dedicated a section of their website to storm-related stories. The Tuscaloosa News has provided similar comprehensive coverage.
While Student Housing Business made its best efforts to identify any student housing properties damaged by the storms, we realize there may be unreported damage. If your community was damaged in the storm, email Coleman Wood at [email protected] and we will update the story with your information.
— Coleman Wood