Hail leads to flood damage at Kellogg schools
<p>The Kellogg High School library wrapped in prtective plastic sheeting on Fridasy while cleanup crews fix holes in the roof. The Kellogg High School library wrapped in prtective plastic sheeting on Fridasy while cleanup crews fix holes in the roof.</p>
<p>Photo by Erik Fink Part of the Sunnyside Elementary gymnasium floor is covered by a tarp to stop rain damage.</p>
KELLOGG - The recent hailstorm that hit Kellogg caused unnoticed holes in Sunnyside Elementary School's roof, leading to leaks and water damage throughout the building.
With the resumption of school just weeks away, the building is currently unusable.
Mike Groves, principal for both Sunnyside and Pinehurst elementary schools, said the leaking was first noticed Wednesday afternoon, and from there it only got worse. He said the hail caused thousands of "micro-holes" in the Sunnyside Elementary roof, allowing water from this week's rainstorms to enter the building, destroying most of the school's rooms.
"I'm afraid to turn on the lights because a lot of them have water in the light fixtures," Groves said.
Although the building is currently unusable, Groves said an emergency repair crew was called and should have the building ready before school starts in September.
"Teachers are the only ones who are going to be delayed," Groves said. "Most of them won't be able to get in and start setting up their classrooms as soon as they would like, but we have a pretty resilient staff."
Groves said many of the ceiling tiles in the building have been removed to avoid leaks pooling up and causing more damage. He said the gymnasium floor currently has a tarp over one section in hopes of avoiding damage.
The work on the school should be able to progress as planned, allowing school to resume on time, but if the weather forecast is wrong and the rains continue past this weekend, scheduling might be troublesome, Groves said.
Groves said he does not yet have an estimate for the cost of repairs. He said one way or another he isn't worried because he believes the school's insurance should cover it.
Groves said damage was also done to the Kellogg School District office building and the Kellogg High School library. Most likely the determining factor for why these buildings received the damage is because they all have flat roofs that have been up for a while. The KHS library only sustained minimal book damage, and it does not appear any of the computers were damaged.