Ada residents, ECU students clean up after storms damage campus, homes

Ada Public Schools and East Central University have canceled classes through Wednesday following widespread storm damage and power outages in the area.

Cleanup efforts are underway at Willard Elementary School, where part of the roof was torn off during the storm. Residents reported being startled awake by intense winds overnight.

“I guess it was the bricks coming off our chimney that really caused me to get up, and I was pretty alarmed,” one resident said.

Hayden Stewart and Reese Connor, members of the ECU football team, said they were sleeping near campus when their chimney collapsed, leaving holes in their roof and shattering a windshield. Their teammates were among those helping clear debris early Tuesday morning.

ECU staff members reported feeling a dormitory building sway as they sought shelter when a tornado touched down. The university sustained damage, though full assessments are ongoing.

Cleanup efforts are expected to continue throughout the week as officials assess the extent of the damage.