The Jacksonville State University president says the school will be closed until April 2 as officials assess the damage of Monday’s tornado.

Standing in front of a roofless freshman dorm at a Wednesday news conference and surrounded by downed trees and power lines, university president John Beehler said the school will come back “stronger than we were before, more beautiful than we were before.”

AL.com quotes him as saying it will take at least a week to remove the debris and finish assessing the campus and its 70 buildings.

He says the school will finish out the semester and plans for temporary classrooms and lodging will be crafted when the damage assessment is complete.

(Image:Jacksonville State University/Facebook)

(Associated Press, copyright 2018)