The combination of incomplete landscaping and construction and a 500-year storm led to the damage at West Haven High School in the gym and cafeteria areas. The damage came about earlier this month with the remnants of Hurricane Ida dumping more than 7 inches of rain on the region.
In a letter to Superintendent of Schools Neil Cavallaro, the rainfall amounts, incomplete landscaping of the new campus profile, and the fact an emergency retention pond had not been installed on the site as of yet, coalesced into water entering the new sections of the school.
“Ground water entered the building by the cafeteria and by the gymnasiums, West Haven High School Building Committee Chairman Ken Carney wrote to Cavallaro. “There was no sustained damage to the cafeteria side of the building, however the wood floors in the gymnasiums were damaged.”
Both the main gym and the auxiliary gyms were damaged and will need some wood flooring replaced. The all-purpose room adjacent to the gyms will need the entire wood floor replaced.
Carney said an insurance claim will be made to get the floors repaired, but the fact the area is still in hurricane season with possible storms coming up the coast, his committee was working to make contingency plans.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the engineers have been directed to review the drainage plan for the entire camps,” Carney wrote.