An incredibly strong ‘wind event’ peeled the roof off the gymnasium at Barranca Mesa Elementary School a short while ago today. Photo by Ryn Hermmann
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
LAPS Superintendent Gene Schmidt, speaking atop the roof area at Barranca Mesa Elementary School just moments ago, confirmed to the Los Alamos Daily Post that no one was hurt despite massive damage from wind at the school today.
“This was a wind event that peeled off the gymnasium roof and laid it over on top of the library and playground of the preschool area,” Schmidt said. “There’s debris everywhere, damage to several cars in the parking lot and a tree blew over at a home across the street. This had to have taken a huge amount of wind energy because the weight of the gymnasium roof is amazingly heavy … it’s about four-feet above the rest of the school’s roofline and the wind just peeled it off and carried it onto the library and playground.”
The building has been evacuated and the power and gas have been turned off. Los Alamos firefighters and police officers are on site conducting safety inspections. School maintenance staff is at the site preparing to do site clean up.
YMCA After School Program staff are remaining at the school until all children are picked up by parents.
A decision on whether to close Barranca School Thursday and Friday will be made later this afternoon, Schmidt said. Check back with ladailypost.com for the official announcement.
