Thu, Dec 28, 2006
Clean-Up Efforts Will Keep Doors Closed Until Mid-January
Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University will remain closed to students until
January 16 while crews work to clean up the damage from a Christmas
Day tornado.
University spokesman Bob Ross says students expecting classes to
start on January 10 will have to wait an extra six days.
Ross told the Dayton Beach News-Journal, "That will give the
university administration time to complete the cleanup and do some
repairs."
The storm that ripped through the university campus at Daytona
Beach International Airport brought heavy rains and an F2 tornado
with 120+ mph winds.
Ross said the tornado destroyed 40 of the university's aircraft
and damaged 10 others. The storm also damaged nine campus
structures.
The university expects no changes to the rest of the
winter/spring schedule including Spring Break and Graduation.
As of right now, access to the campus is restricted to a
skeleton crew of around two dozen school administrators, safety and
maintenance workers. Security is allowing contractors and engineers
through to assess damage and estimate repair time and costs.
The campus's main administrative building -- Spruance Hall --
was severely damaged in the storm and engineers are doubtful it can
be repaired.
University director of construction and planning Dita Peatross
told the Journal, "It was built to older codes. It may be cheaper
to tear it down and rebuild."
School administrators are asking students not to return to the
campus until the new class-start date.
Crews are working as fast as possible to close up damaged
structures with temporary repairs as more severe weather threatens.
A massive winter storm is moving east across the US with
forecasters predicting strong to severe thunderstorms ahead of it
for the southeastern US late this weekend and into next week.
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