Still no estimate of Braille School storm damage

CEDAR FALLS - It's still unknown how much damage was caused financially to the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in Vinton by a July 11 storm, the school superintendent told state regents during a meeting here Thursday.

Superintendent Patrick Clancy said insurance investigators have been on campus in the weeks since the storm, and school officials are prepared to be in touch with the Federal Emergency Management Agency if the county is declared a disaster area from the storm. But there is no scope of damage or dollar estimate yet, Clancy said, though he anticipates more information by the middle of this month.

The regents on Thursday gave emergency storm recovery authorization to the Braille School. That authorizes Iowa State University and the University of Iowa, on behalf of the Braille School, to advance funds, expend resources to provide damage response services and to coordinate reconstruction efforts in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

It also authorizes school staff working with the regents office and university staffs to establish the necessary record keeping procedures to file for state and federal disaster reimbursement.

The early morning storm July 11 did extensive damage to the Braille School's Vinton campus. The most significant damage was to the roof of Old Main, an 1865 structure, and roof and water damage to the Cottage dormitory building that is leased by AmeriCorps on the campus. The campus also lost about 150 trees in the storm, Clancy said.