17-03-2025
Disaster team begins work on Brescia University's hail damage
OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — Owensboro's Brescia University was damaged in this weekend's storm, but are finding ways to ensure classes resume as normal on Monday, March 16. School officials are grateful it's spring break and no students were on campus.
'There's going to be a lot of work involved. It's going to be a long and very expensive process,' says Father Larry Hostetter, the president of the university.
Since Saturday morning, teachers, staff and students have been working quickly to make repairs to the school in an effort to keep academics on track.
As hail as large as baseballs plummeted toward the building, the university's president says they quickly realized their roof wouldn't be able to take the load.
'We had water here in our cardio room, throughout this whole floor. Water was just coming down in sheets…going to the floor. We had pretty significant damage. Our greenhouse at the science building, some cars and houses' siding [were also damage],' says Father Hostetter.
Officials say the student center, known as the Moore Center, took the hardest hit.
Despite it being Spring Break, everyone jumped in to help vacuum up water and drain out rooms, as ceiling tiles hung out of place above them.
'It was a kind of a losing battle because it was raining all day,' says Father Hostetter.
A disaster team will step in Sunday to take over recovery efforts before classes resume Monday. Students won't be able to use the cardio room, and athletes won't be lifting weights in their usual space.
'All of our academic buildings are okay. There was a little water in there, but not enough to cancel classes. We fortunately were able to cover up all of our exercise machines quickly, so they won't be damaged,' says Hostetter.
Downstairs, one thing the storm didn't affect was the hosting of Youth 2000. Youth 2000 is a retreat for over 600 catholic youth annually held for over a decade.
'The gym is unscathed. That has a new a roof on it. There's no damage at the gym at all. In other places, they just had to walk around some buckets of water here and there,' says Hostetter.
The university president says in terms of what happens next, there's one thing they can always be certain of.
'I think the community will rally around us. So, we have a special place on [ for people who want to donate to help with the disaster relief. We really appreciate any help we can get along those lines,' says Hostetter.
Officials say Owensboro Catholic Middle School was also damaged.
OCMS will be closed on Monday and students will have an NTI day.
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