Iowa Braille School Suffers Major Storm Damage
By Diane Heldt, Reporter
Damage to the Iowa Braille School after an early morning storm blew through the area Monday, July 11, 2011, in Vinton, Iowa. (SourceMedia Group News/Jim Slosiarek)
By
Aaron Hepker
Story Created:
Jul 12, 2011 at 11:54 AM CDT
Story Updated:
Jul 12, 2011 at 11:54 AM CDT
VINTON, Iowa — The Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in Vinton sustained significant damage in the early morning storm Monday, school Superintendent Patrick Clancy said.
No damage estimate was available yet, but Clancy expected clean up will take days or weeks.
“There is damage to every building out here,” Clancy said. “It is significant.”
About 100 trees on the 150-year-old campus were brought down by the storm or will have to be torn down due to damage, Clancy said.
Some buildings sustained only minor damage, like broken windows or some missing shingles. But Old Main, the oldest building on campus and the school’s administrative building, likely will need a new roof, Clancy said.
“The roof, the north and south sides are basically gone, and the central part is significantly damaged,” he said.
Engineers are on campus to determine if Old Main remains structurally sound other than needing a new roof, which Clancy believes will be the case.
Administrative offices have been evacuated from Old Main for now, Clancy said. Also, seven students from around Iowa with visual impairments were on the Braille School campus for a week-long program when the storm hit, Clancy said. They were staying in the residential portion of Old Main and have been evacuated to a different building. It’s possible the students will be bused home early since the campus is without power, Clancy said.
Another campus building, the Cottage dormitory, sustained significant storm damage. That building is rented by AmeriCorps and used as a dorm for AmeriCorps volunteers. About 140 volunteers were on campus this week for training and are helping with the storm cleanup, Clancy said.
The seven students in the Braille School week-long program and all of the AmeriCorps volunteers took refuge in the tunnel system underneath the Braille School campus during the storm, and there were no injuries, Clancy said.
“The tunnel system connects nearly all of our buildings and it’s part of our storm warning system,” he said. “People go to the tunnels when necessary, so it’s good they did this time.”
University of Iowa Facilities Management sent crews to help assess damage and determine if it can provide assistance to the Iowa Braille School, UI officials said Monday. UI workers are poised to provide power generators, electricians and ground crews to help clear storm debris and other assistance, if needed.
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