The worst tornado outbreak in nearly four decades wreaked havoc across Southern states yesterday, killing nearly 300 people. The aftermath of the disaster hit home as well, affecting alumni in Alabama and Whitman students in tech classes.

Students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., the town hit hardest by the twister, struggle to put their lives back together. The death toll is at nearly 200 people for Alabama alone, including two University of Alabama students.

Rocky Cooper (’09), who attends the University of Alabama, had to leave her apartment early due to power outages from the weather. The tornado left many of her friends, and hundreds of other people, homeless.

“Almost every single one of my friends has no where to live because their apartments or houses are destroyed,” Cooper said.

The University of Alabama has halted all classes until further notice because of the tornado, and the University will not administer final exams, originally scheduled for next week. In addition, graduation activities are postponed until August, as the University attempts to rebuild.

Back in Bethesda, students in one Introduction to Engineering Design class are collaborating with students from an Alabama high school through Skype on an technology assignment. However, the weather shut down the Alabama high school yesterday, disrupting the project. The school is back in session today, and the project has continued.

Although some schools in Alabama have reopened today, other buildings will take months to repair. The destruction and rubble covering the college town of  Tuscaloosa is  heartbreaking, Cooper said.

“After actually seeing the ruins, my reaction definitely changed to devastated,” she said. “Listening to the radio for people needing help and seeing that our town has barely anything left standing put me to tears.”