A sudden and powerful gust of wind last night snapped a 40 foot pine tree behind Gile Hall and swept portions of copper roofing off Parkhust Hall.
According to the Lebanon Airport control tower, winds reached speeds of 44 mph.
A long portion of copper roofing on Parkhurst was lifted up, twisted about and landed back on the roof.
Students reported seeing a funnel of wind touch down on the top of Parkhurst.
"The wind was blowing really hard," said Greg Papajohn '96 who stood out side of Massachusetts Hall. "It seemed tornado-like because the sand was taken into the wind."
The wind toppled a 20 to 25 foot section of the tree which narrowly missed two cars behind North Massachusetts and Hitchcock dormitories when it fell at approximately 6:50 p.m.
The tree "just snapped in half," said Craig Herkal '96 who lives in North Massachusetts Hall.
"I was going to close the window when it came down," Herkal said. "It sounded like thunder. My roommates asked if it was lightening. It just came down. The top part smashed as it hit the ground."
Approximately 15 feet of the tree trunk was left standing.
Fragments of tarp paper and a metal vent from Parkhurst's roof were found on the ground. Safety and Security Sergeant Janet Schwarz said "large pieces of the the paper were blowing onto the Green."
Areas where damage occurred were roped off 20 minutes later to prevent people from entering the area.
