WILMA TAKES A TOLL, BUT DISTRICT STANDS TALL

Classes resumed for Broward County Public Schools students on Monday, November 7, 2005, following a monumental recovery operation from the impact of Hurricane Wilma.  Over 3,500 District Maintenance Department, custodial and contract workers put in 12+ hour days for two weeks to get the schools, offices and worksites repaired, cleaned up and ready to reopen.

The total cost associated with recovery from the effects of Hurricane Wilma could top $100 million and take a couple of years to complete. 

Students and most District employees were idled for two weeks by Hurricane Wilma.  Virtually every school and work site in the District was impacted in some way by the hurricane.  Storm-blown debris was scattered over more than 240 sites; more than 100 District sites sustained roof damage; at least 75 sites sustained window damage; and approximately 400 portables were damaged – some beyond repair.

Crews started work shortly after storm passage assessing the damage; covering roof breaches with blue tarps; boarding up broken and blown out windows; repairing rooftop air conditioning units and air handlers; and clearing downed trees, branches and other storm-blown debris from District sites.

The K.C. Wright administration building sustained substantial damage, mainly to the west side of the building.  However, there was little damage beyond the offices and work areas immediately adjacent to the building’s west side.  The headquarters building was reopened to employees later in the week.  A School Board meeting was held in the Board Room on Tuesday, November 8 – the day after classes resumed for students.

Over the course of the two week recovery period, the District provided assistance to other agencies and organizations.  This assistance included gasoline and diesel fuel to essential hospital workers and municipal organizations for their vehicles and electric generators; water for Salvation Army shelters; and food for local church groups for distribution to the public during the emergency.  The District also provided materials and a crew to replace a large section of perimeter fence at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which permitted the airport to reopen.  Several thousand people were temporarily housed in four schools established as emergency evacuation shelters.

Several hundred local residents, whose homes were condemned because of hurricane damage, were being temporarily housed at McNicol Middle School in Hollywood after the schools reopened.  McNicol is a year round school with no classes scheduled till the end of November.  Aside from providing food and a place to live for the residents, the District was also arranging for laundry service for these displaced residents.

District employees were kept informed about the status of the recovery operation and the reopening of the schools and offices through periodic news conferences conducted at the Broward County Emergency Operations Center (EOC); scrolls run on the District’s educational television station, BECON; information on the District Website at www.browardschools.com; and updated time and date stamped messages on the District’s Rumor Control Hotline, 754-321-0321.  The District also established a temporary Employee Answer Line to respond in person to questions during the emergency.