Proactive Facilities Maintenance: Protecting Against Blown Off Roofs

Severe weather across the southeast last month blew the roof right off an Arkansas high school. Facilities Manager Matt Huitt was the first one to step inside the school after the roof was ripped off to assess the damage.

He told local NBC News affiliate KARK: “My buddy called and told me the roof had blown off the school and I said no you’ve got to be kidding me. It started lifting up, rolled it right back and I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”

After assessing the damage, he said, “It was like a waterfall. Water coming through the tiles, water standing everywhere, on top of desks, picking up keyboards and there’s water dumping out.”

Pouring rain and wind caused damage to the school’s library, computer lab and four offices. A second storm arrived the following day wreaking more havoc on the already battered facility. The second storm pulled the roof off a second wing of the building, causing further destruction.

The school district said they are not sure how long it would take to repair the damage.

While it is not unheard of for storms to cause facility damage like this, it’s also possible to reduce the likelihood of this kind of destruction by having a proactive facility management plan in place. Existing damage or water intrusion due to prior storms or weather issues, improper installation, and loose sealant, punctures or flashing can all make a building’s exterior more vulnerable to storms such as this one. Proactive facility maintenance coupled with routine technology-enabled inspections can detect weak spots indicative of existing damage and poor installation, and can significantly reduce the risk of catastrophic failures like the one in Arkansas.