University of Memphis professor Evgueni Pinkhassik was injured Sunday afternoon when he was struck by lightning. Representatives at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis said Pinkhassik was listed in critical condition, but were unavailable for further comment.
Pinkhassik, an assistant professor of chemistry, was struck 4:39 p.m. while getting out of his car on Walker Avenue, said Kurt Guenther, director of communications services at The U of M.
Pinkhassik’s wife and children were also in the car but were unharmed. He was transported to the Regional Medical Center.
“The latest update was at 10:30 this morning,” Guenther said. “He was in the hospital, okay and alert. Doctors are going to keep him there, but they are not sure how long they will keep him there.”
On Saturday and Sunday, a line of powerful thunderstorms and tornados rolled through the Mid-South, knocking down trees, damaging buildings and causing power outages. The storms grew even more powerful as they moved east, killing at least five people in Middle Tennessee and five in Ohio.
As of Monday, at least 33 people across five states were confirmed dead, 16 of those were in Tennessee.
Memphis Light, Gas and Water reported the hardest hit areas were in south and east Memphis. Fallen trees were reported blocking several roads including Germantown Road, Shelby Drive and Sycamore View.
At Union University in Jackson, Tenn., the campus there suffered extensive damage to buildings and dormitories. According to the National Weather Service, winds reached up to 140 mph.
