After the storms: Recent tornado damage to campus could cost FAMU $9 million-$10 million

Florida A&M University could be looking at $9 million to $10 million in damage after Tallahassee was ravaged by three tornadoes on May 10, which also swept across the school's campus.

FAMU President Larry Robinson shared the early estimate with the university’s Board of Trustees during a Budget, Finance and Facilities Committee meeting Wednesday.

At the same time, FAMU’s Chief Financial Officer/Vice President for Finance and Administration Rebecca Brown says the review is ongoing, and additional damage to buildings is being discovered every day.

“It’s going to be a long time before the damage is properly assessed,” Robinson said.

A few days ago, federal and state emergency management officials toured campus along with university staff to assess the damage and clean-up. As FAMU officials continue tracking expenses, they expect to be reimbursed for the damage costs, according to the university.

Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College have not yet shared their estimated damage costs following the impact of the tornadoes on their campuses.

The natural disaster damaged roofs, downed trees and utility poles, blocked roadways and knocked out power across FAMU’s campus. As a result, the university kicked off its first week of summer classes remotely during the tornado recovery efforts before reopening in person May 20.

More: Point of convergence: Tracking the Tallahassee tornadoes' havoc in maps, words and photos

During Robinson’s recovery updates to trustees Wednesday, he said there are still a number of damaged buildings on campus, including several with damaged roof. The FAMU Marching 100 Band’s practice hall was flooded but is being restored in preparation for an upcoming summer band camp.

Brown says her team is working diligently to make sure operations continue, but getting the campus back to its previous state before the tornadoes hit may take a while: “It is going to be a few years — if not longer.”

In addition, FAMU’s Grand Ballroom, which is where the Board of Trustees usually meets for its in-person meetings, lost a lot of its roof and will be out of operation for some time.

But despite all the damage, Robinson commended the university’s staff for the recovery efforts. He says a “tremendous volume” of debris is piled up at a collection site on the southeast end of campus near FAMU’s Phase III Apartments.

“What you would notice today if you went on campus is that unless you knew there were some fairly large water oaks and other trees down, you wouldn’t know the difference,” Robinson told trustees. “Our team under the leadership of Ms. Brown has done a tremendous job of removing debris.”

Contact Tarah Jean at [email protected] or follow her on X: @tarahjean_.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU damage costs after recent tornadoes could be up to $10 million