By Aaron Mainiero
Today marks the anniversary of the EF-3 tornado that passed through Ruston three years ago. Many residents and current and former Louisiana Tech students remember April 25, 2019, as a devastating moment in the parish’s recent history.
The tornado tore through Ruston in the early hours of April 25, causing severe damage to buildings and claiming the lives of two people. The tornado, an EF-3, had wind speed between 158 and 206 miles per hour. The tornado damaged several homes and businesses, as well as three sports facilities on the Louisiana Tech Campus.
Recent Louisiana Tech graduate Annie Gremillion was a sophomore when the tornado hit.
“I was genuinely fearing for my life, as I was on the third floor of Aswell (Residence Hall) at the time, which didn’t seem like the safest place to be,” Gremillion recounted.
The tornado was only on the ground for about eight minutes, but the devastation it left was immense.
“When it was all over, it was relieving, but at a cost,” Gremillion said. “Classes were cancelled, but seeing all the damage it caused was depressing, so I couldn’t be happy about getting out of class.”
Though the tornado was on the ground for less than 10 minutes, the damage was terrible. Businesses were destroyed, homes were severely damaged, and the tornado took the lives of two Ruston residents, Kendra Butler and her son, Remington Butler.
In the weeks following the tornado, Ruston came together to pick up the pieces and return to normal under the banner of “Ruston Strong.” Artist Ashley Greer painted a mural that is still present in downtown Ruston, depicting the “Ruston Strong” slogan and balloons that symbolize Ruston’s community uplifting itself after the tornado.
“It was interesting seeing more people talk about Ruston. It wasn’t national news, but a lot of people were talking about it.” Gremillion said.
In the three years since the tornado, Ruston has recovered. Louisiana Tech has replaced its damaged facilities with new ones, including the JC Love Field baseball stadium. Though the scars are still visible in empty lots where buildings used to stand, the people of Ruston proved that they were strong enough to survive.
