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Intense overnight winds rattle community around Lamar University

Intense winds from a thunderstorm early Saturday morning damage several buildings at Lamar University. especially the Police Department headquarters.

BEAUMONT — Intense winds from a thunderstorm early Saturday morning damage several buildings at Lamar University. especially the Police Department headquarters.

Several students tell 12News they didn't hear anything while the gusts intensified, in fact, they woke up to the roof of several buildings torn apart.

"It's a shock to see right in our own back yard tree's falling and roofs gone," says Kourtney Lewis, Student at Lamar University.

A startling sight for thousands of students like him.

"That's very scary, still in shock that it's next to where we sleep," Lewis says.

The overnight fierce winds ravaged through the home of the cardinals knocking out the electricity for hours.

In bright daylight, the aftermath was now visible for parents like Sherry Davis of Silsbee, and her son Mathew.

"It's concerning to have a student away in college, and not be there," she says.

There were flipped cars, parking lots covered with limbs, and the Lamar University Police Department now left without a roof.

"This is the nerve center in our department with our dispatch and it's the main room affected by that," says Cpl. Jarrod Samford, with LUPD

Just blocks away from campus the destruction continued.

"Never thought to come outside and see the bricks on the vehicles," says Sandy Davis, who lost her car after a brick wall collapsed on the parking lot.

Her form of transportation completely destroyed.

"It hurts because I just went through Harvey and now I have to go through this," she says.

The community is now picking up the pieces, sight that no gust of wind is strong enough to knock them down.

"Thank God everyone is still safe and waking up out of bed, we're blessed," Lewis says.

The Lamar University Police Department is moving their office to the former Human Resources building on the corner of Rolfe Christopher and Jim Gillian boulevard.

The police departments phone line will still be working throughout the transition, the number is (409) 880-8307.

Police tell us there was a dispatcher inside the building when the roof collapsed, but no injuries have yet been reported.

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