Situation/Background
A tornado with 120 MPH winds slammed into this church campus on a Friday afternoon, virtually destroying the rectory, and causing extensive damage to the school and church buildings. Thankfully, no one was injured when the storm hit.
Woodard responded within minutes of the call, with our first responders quickly dispatching additional crews once the magnitude of damage was assessed. The rectory was initially thought to be a complete loss (Woodard was later asked to rebuild the structure), the church lost part of its roof, sustaining water, ceiling and drywall damage, and more than half of the school windows were blown out, sending water and glass slivers through the entire structure.
Response
Woodard’s first day response team included carpenters to tarp roofs and board up broken windows, water restoration technicians to extract water and set drying equipment, electricians to disconnect wet and open circuits, and managers to effectively direct all response teams.
Saturday and Sunday’s response teams included more technicians of various disciplines, continuing to secure and dry the buildings, together with teams of detail cleaners. Our goal was to literally scour, wipe down, and vacuum every surface throughout the entire school building, so not a single sliver of glass could later hurt a child.
Solution
Quick mobilization and adequate deployment of personnel and equipment enabled the church and school to quickly get back to normal. In fact, less than 30 hours after the tornado hit the church, regular Saturday services were held in the sanctuary.
School was cancelled for just one day, resuming classes just three and a half days after the tornado hit, with all classrooms and hallways perfectly safe for children.
The school principal said she was grateful for two things:
- For the speedy cleanup,
- For the fact that this happened when kids were not in school.
If your buildings are ever affected by severe storms, fire, smoke or water damage, call the one company that can get you back to normal fast – call Woodard.
With 135+ well-trained employees, the proper equipment, and fast mobility, Woodard is a proven resource for storm damage, water, fire or smoke restoration projects throughout the Midwest, East, and Gulf Coast Regions.
