Kays Hall experiences power outage due to lightening strike

April 1, 2008 -- Power was interrupted to Kays Hall last night as thunderstorms spread across northeast Arkansas. At approximately 9:30 p.m., lightning struck a Jonesboro City Water and Light transformer located outside the residence hall, causing it to fail.

An on-site emergency generator automatically came online and provided security lighting throughout hallways and staircases.

Approximately 400 students live in Kays Hall. The students were directed to the Student Union until repairs were completed. Sodexo Campus Dining Services personnel were called in to provide food for them. The Student Union Auditorium was opened, and movies were shown.

The University Police Department called in off-duty personnel to provide additional security.

Although students were inconvenienced, there were no reports of injuries.

Power was restored at approximately 1:30 this morning, and students were allowed to return to the residence hall.

Faculty members were asked to excuse students living in Kays Hall who might miss classes this morning.

No other campus buildings were affected by the outage.

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