Storm Rips Off Portion of Galvin Roof

When the clouds started moving in Friday afternoon, July 23, most of campus thought the area would get a little rain. Shortly thereafter, the wind started – 70 mph winds – and proceeded to peel back two layers of the Galvin Fine Arts Center roof like a can opener. Click here to see pictures.

The rain dripped into the seating area like a waterfall Friday afternoon and again Saturday morning. The plush, red carpet up and down the house aisles were soaked, and water cascaded off the balcony.

Physical plant director Jim Hannon says the storm caused several thousands of dollars in damage to the roof alone. The first layer was built in 1969 with the rest of the building, and the second in 1997. Water damage also added to the total.

Giese Roofing is repairing the roof, and Hannon says he hopes to have it fully repaired by the time classes start in mid-August. Werner Restoration is handling clean-up of Galvin's interior.

Other damage to the building included:

• The back-up tower for KALA-FM. Radio engineer Jon Anderson said having that tower inoperable isn't affecting radio production currently, but if the main, 10,000-watt tower becomes dysfunctional for any reason, the station won't be able to broadcast. It's unknown when the tower can be replaced.
• The antenna that broadcasts ham radio signals for the university's amateur radio station.
• Water and roof damage to the Macintosh lab. Two Macs are nonfunctional, as well as a printer.
• A ventilation unit for the lower level print shop
• Air conditioning rooftop unit for the Mac lab
• A gas line into Galvin