Flooding won't affect Monday classes

3/19/2019 (Permalink)

Heavy rains and frozen ground flood local Brainerd school.

Brainerd Public Schools

SERVPRO of Brainerd and Park Rapids was recently called for an emergency flooding in the lower level of a school.  The Brainerd Dispatch caught us in action in an article by Theresa Bourke on Mar 17, 2019 at 5:00 a.m.

An orange hazard warning marker alerts pedestrians of the water-removing hose across the sidewalk working to clean up minor flooding Thursday, March 14, at the Washington Educational Services Building on Oak Street.  Frank Lee / Brainerd Dispatch

If any Brainerd students thought the flooding at three school district facilities would mean a longer spring break, their hopes are about to be dashed.

"Everything's cleaned up pretty well.  It'll be ready to go by Monday, "Building and Grounds Director Earl Wolleat said Friday afternoon, March 15.

So despite flooding at the Washington Educational Services Building, Forestview Middle School and Brainerd High School Thursday, all classes will resume as scheduled Monday.

Muddy water flooded the cafeteria at Washington school, Wolleat said, while the office at BHS and maintenance room at Forestview also fell victim to water.

"What happened is those rain leaders, when they contact the sewer mainline, they tend to freeze up.  And if you get rain this early in the year, it's a problem," he said.  "We're not supposed to be having an inch of rain when we've got really cold temperatures and frozen ground."

But the messes were cleaned up as of Friday, with just a final scrub left to do on the Washington cafeteria to prepare it for students Monday.

Wolleat said he will put a camera down the pipe at Forestview to make sure everything is intact.

"We'll just do what we need to do to make sure it's all back in shape," he said.  "It takes some time to totally figure out what has to be done after all the ice melts away from everything."

Investigations on potential damages from the water are still ongoing.

The flooding caused the district's KinderClub and Fun 'N' Friends programs to be moved to Riverside Elementary School Thursday and Friday.

Helping make it "Like it never even happened."