Concordia Nebraska seeks to serve Seward community following recent storm

Early in the morning on Saturday, August 9, 2025, the Concordia University, Nebraska campus was shrouded in darkness. Many of the university’s student-athletes were asleep in dorms, having arrived over the past week for pre-season practices and team building events prior to the start of a new school year. At 5 a.m., winds of more than 90 miles per hour roared through campus and the greater Seward area as a severe thunderstorm marched from west to east from Seward to Lincoln and beyond, tossing trees, snapping power lines and leaving a swath of destruction. The high winds caused widespread power outages and severe damage to trees, homes, vehicles and businesses throughout the area. 

Although the Concordia University, Nebraska campus experienced extensive tree damage and some impacts to buildings, all students, faculty and staff who were on campus at the time of the storm were not harmed.  Shortly after the storm howled through Seward and raced off to the east, university faculty, staff and students and others were seen out and about in the community, supporting Seward neighbors in cleanup efforts. 

Bulldog coaches led football, soccer and volleyball student-athletes in cleanup efforts, removing tree limbs from cars, homes and roadways. In the days following the storm, students continued to circulate throughout the community offering aid wherever it was needed. Due to building damage from the storm, Seward’s Chapters Books & Gifts was forced to relocate to a temporary storefront location while their building damage is assessed. Concordia Nebraska students helped store owner Kelley Limback ‘00 move books to her store’s temporary location.  

“This severe weather event presented a number of challenges for us, but this situation also provided an opportunity for the Concordia community to come together to share the love of Christ while serving both our campus and our neighbors in the Seward community.”

“Moments like this are an opportunity to live out our mission of being a Christ-centered community equipping men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world,” explained Concordia University, Nebraska President Dr. Bernard Bull. “As such, many of our students and coaches [were] out in the community helping our neighbors with clean up. In the same way, it has been heartening to see how so many others cared for our students and campus community, including Seward's city workers, administrators and fellow citizens. It was a marvelous outpouring of selflessness in the wake of a destructive storm. We are grateful for God at work through our neighbors.” 

Following the storm, the university has been working with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Disaster Response, the Synod’s global disaster relief and human care ministry which deploys Lutheran Early Response Teams to aid in disaster response and relief efforts. The university has also been in contact with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that provides support before, during and after disasters and crises. 

Concordia University, Nebraska’s fall semester for undergraduate, on-campus students begins Monday, August 25. Even though the campus and community cleanup and repair process will take days weeks or even months, Bull said the university joyfully anticipates the start of the new school year. 

“This severe weather event presented a number of challenges for us, but this situation also provided an opportunity the Concordia community to come together to share the love of Christ while serving both our campus and our neighbors in the Seward community,” added Bull. “Thank you for your prayers for our university and for our community as we proceed through the lasting impacts of this severe weather event. God reminds us in His Word, “I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).”  

Those who are moved to support Concordia University, Nebraska’s storm recovery efforts with financial gifts are invited to designate their support to the Storm Damage Gift Fund. Checks may be mailed to Concordia University, Office of Institutional Advancement, 800 North Columbia Avenue, Seward, Nebraska 68434. Questions may be directed to the Concordia Office of Institutional Advancement at 800-535-5494 ext. 7221 or  giftprocessing@cune.edu.