PALMYRA TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Cleanup continues across Portage County after severe storms flooded roads and flipped carports last week.
At Southeast Local Schools in Palmyra Township, the storms tore part of the roof off the high school gymnasium, ruining a gym floor that was only a couple of years old.
"We were in a board meeting and heard this loud wind sound – after the meeting, we discovered it was our roof that had flown off our high school gymnasium," Superintendent Bob Dunn said.
Dunn told News 5 that once they went outside, they found bits of the roof scattered across the parking lot, and some students' cars were damaged.
Thankfully, he said no one was in the parking lot or inside the gymnasium when the storm happened. However, up to an inch of water flooded that gym floor.
"Gym floors, once the water starts seeping in, it's very hard to save them," Dunn said.
Insurance has already approved the removal and replacement of the floor, as well as covering the damage done to students' vehicles.
For Dunn, while the ordeal was an unexpected surprise — the timing of it all is appreciated.
"If there is a good time to replace a gym floor, this is the right time," Dunn said. "You don't have the winter sports, you don't have the fall sports using the gymnasium. Some camps moved, some dances moved, some music performances moved out of the gym."
District officials hope to have the new floor installed by August.
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
