Damaged athletic facilities at MSU, high schools

I had a chance to see athletic facilities around Lake Charles Tuesday. Damage to McNeese State facilities varied. Damage to high school football fields I saw was extensive.

Cowboy Stadium had two heavily damaged light standards. The northwest standard tilted back toward the track, and the southeast standard tilted north. (I erroneously reported yesterday that the northwest pole tilted toward the field.)

The press box had damage, but appeared functionally intact. The field has standing water and may need to be pumped electronically. The softball field looked ok and fences were knocked down at the tennis courts. Burton Coliseum looked fine and was being used as a staging ground for military, law enforcement and electrical workers. The baseball field's outfield wall was completely decimated and the third base dugout was partially collapsed.

At LaGrange's Mims Stadium, the light poles all appear to be pushed in dangerous directions. It was worse at Lake Charles-Boston's Cougar Stadium, where some light poles have fallen completely to the ground, and none stand straight. Just across the street from Cougar Stadium, Legion Field's light poles are perfectly straight, though some point the wrong direction.

Gary Laney
American Press