Storms damage KU's Stephenson Hall, force student evacuation

Severe storms ripped through the University of Kansas Lawrence campus early Monday, badly damaging Stephenson Hall and forcing residents out of the scholarship hall as crews assessed whether the building can be used again this spring. A large section of brick siding along the attic came loose and fell, crushing an emergency staircase, and the basement flooded. No injuries were reported.

Students in the hall woke to loud noises, heavy wind and a building that sounded as if it had taken a direct hit. The evacuation sent residents to Crawford Community Center near KK Amini Hall, a familiar campus space that serves all scholarship halls and hosts Scholarship Hall Council meetings and other community events. About 45 students were living in Stephenson Hall this semester.

The damage landed on one of KU’s most distinctive residence halls. KU Housing says Stephenson Hall opened in 1952, while KU’s Places site dates its opening to fall 1951 and says it was designed by Raymond Coolidge. The hall is a men’s scholarship hall, one of four men’s scholarship halls among KU’s 12 scholarship halls overall, and it houses about 50 residents in traditional two-person rooms with a community bathroom. KU’s housing materials also note its fictional 51st resident, Wilbur W. Nether. Stephenson is also one of the eight scholarship halls listed on the National Register in the University of Kansas East Historic District.

KU spokeswoman Erinn Barcomb-Peterson said the university was working with Facilities Planning & Development and outside engineers and contractors to determine whether Stephenson Hall can safely remain in use for the rest of the spring semester. She also said about half of the scholarship hall basements had water damage, suggesting the storm hit more than one residence and was not an isolated failure.

The broader weather event added to the strain on campus operations and on Lawrence itself. Lawrence received 2.97 inches of rain from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. Monday, after already taking in 4.66 inches from April 1 through April 26, well above the city’s April average of 3.37 inches. National Weather Service meteorologist Chad Omitt said the strongest line of storms arrived around 5 a.m. to 5:15 a.m. with sporadic 60 to 65 mph winds. The storm also left widespread power outages on KU’s Lawrence campus and forced road closures around Douglas County.

KU’s emergency management office says the university is a StormReady University designated by the National Weather Service. KU Alerts does not issue severe-weather warnings for tornadoes, flooding or lightning, directing students and employees to local media and the National Weather Service instead. With finals, move-out and summer housing all tied to the end of the semester, the damage at Stephenson Hall now reaches beyond one building and into the calendar that shapes student life and the local businesses that depend on it.