bcarmen@observertoday.com

GOWANDA — After a violent hail storm impacted the village of Gowanda this past week, the Gowanda Central School District cancelled classes for the final two days prior to spring break.

The storm hit Gowanda on Tuesday, with large pieces of hail striking the grounds, structures, and vehicles throughout the village. Students were still in school at the time, which resulted in the district issuing a shelter in place order for all district buildings. All students and staff were ordered to remain indoors, away from windows and doors until it was deemed safe to dismiss. After school activities were cancelled.

Superintendent Dr. Robert Anderson was pleased with the district’s response in the moment. He thanked staff and students for how they conducted themselves throughout what the district called an “extreme weather” event.

“People stepped up. They filled roles without being asked or coerced. They just naturally took care of kids, took care of the property to do what they had to do to make sure we were all safe and cared for,” Anderson said. “We are really, really happy with the response.”

The district canceled classes on Wednesday and Thursday in order to allow for the district’s facilities to be inspected and addressed.

Many lights and windows were shattered throughout the district, while many vehicles were dented from the impact of hail.

The fields and outdoor facilities were heavily impacted, as well. However, despite all of the damage, the district remains structurally intact and the opening of school following spring break will likely not be impacted.

“It wasn’t catastrophic in the sense that roofs or walls came down, but it was very significant,” Anderson said of the damage.

The district now has the next week to further assess the damage to its facilities prior to students returning from spring break on April 13. Anderson noted that the timing of spring break gave the district the ability to “really take our time to be patient and make sure we can prepare appropriately” for classes to resume.

The district has been in contact with architects from Young and Wright and Buffalo Construction Consultants for an in-depth analysis of the damage. Insurance claims will be filed, and an emergency repair project could be pursued depending on the amount of damage uncovered through the in-depth analysis.

Gowanda Board of Education member Mark Nephew, who also serves as Mayor of Gowanda, commended the district for its handling of the storm.

“I really want to thank the administration and the staff of the district,” Nephew said. “I think everybody stepped up and did a good job for the safety of the kids.”