U. of Southern Mississippi Announces Plan to Restore Tornado Damaged Campus

The tornado that stuck southern Mississippi on Feb. 10, 2013 with winds peaking to 170 mph, damaged more than 800 homes, and at least eight buildings on the University of Southern Mississippi (pictured) in Hattiesburg.

The tornado that swooped down on southern Mississippi on Sunday evening Feb. 10, 2013 caused tens of millions of dollars in damage to the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) in Hattiesburg, impacting at least eight buildings and toppling 75 trees.

The area has received federal disaster relief. USM's $500 million insurance policy ($100,000 deductible) will cover most of the campus damage. The Hattiesburg American reports the university has received $6 million of its total insurance claim so far, but received only $250,000 to cover the damaged campus landscaping.

On Monday April 15, a multi-year $3 million campus beautification project was unveiled at USM. Landscape architect Russ Bryan of Neel–Schaffer, Inc. was on hand to discuss the plan. Neel–Schaffer, Inc. www.neel-schaffer.com, based in Jackson, Miss., and founded in 1983, is a large privately held multidisciplinary engineering and planning firm with offices throughout the South, Southeast and Texas.

Phase one of the plan will begin at the end of April with the planting of five large-specimen trees around the gateway to the university. The project will add sidewalks, plant 130 trees and increase the size of Lake Byron to allow the lake to retain storm water for irrigation.

Jerry DeFatta, executive director of the Southern Miss Alumni Association, announced a $100,000 commitment from the Alumni Association. In addition, $150,000 of the $270,000 raised by the Southern Miss emergency relief fund will go to the campus restoration.