When disaster strikes a school

6/15/2022 (Permalink)

A few months ago, National Public Radio published an article that should concern any school facilities manager.

The article, entitled “This school wasn’t built for the new climate reality. Yours may not be either,” is available here: https://www.npr.org/2022/03/21/1084912552/climate-change-schools

In the article, NPR journalist Anya Kamenetz tells the story of New Jersey’s Cresskill Middle/High School.

Her reporting starts on September 1, 2021, just a few days before the school was set to re-open for in-person learning after COVID-19 lockdowns.

Unexpectedly, a massive rainstorm – the remnants of Hurricane Ida – unleased seven inches of precipitation on the school in the matter of hours.

Due to a flaw in the school’s ventilation system, that rain poured into the building itself. The entire school was totally flooded, with one teacher describing the auditorium as “an aquarium” and some staff members becoming trapped within the structure overnight.

Inspectors valued the loss at $21.6 million dollars, far above the school’s flood insurance payout cap of $2 million. FEMA would reimburse the school for some of the costs of the repairs, but the school would need to front the money first.

By the time of writing, the school building had still not re-opened and repair funds were only just starting to come through.

What’s the lesson here for schools? Disaster can strike when you least expect it, and can be much more severe than you ever thought possible. Accepting that fact and preparing for the worst is your best defense against the unknown.