Arctic Blast Freezes and Bursts Hardin County School Pipes
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HARDIN COUNTY, Tenn.- Crews are working through the night in hopes of getting Hardin County High School suitable for students after the school’s frozen pipes burst Tuesday and flooded the school. Officials said the pipes filled the school’s hallways and classrooms with up to 4 inches of freezing water. Assistant Director of Hardin County Schools Michael Davis told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News that the pipes connected the school’s sprinkler system throughout the building which served as fire protection for the building. He said the leak was first noticed by students and staff who were practicing basketball inside of gymnasium. Officials said the water reached at into several classrooms. “Three classrooms here in the auxiliary gym wing where we have our Driver’s Ed class, health and P.E. classes and our coaches offices were damaged,” said Davis. “Then on the band wing there was the band room and chorus room and that hallway.” School officials said as Savannah firefighters and volunteers began cleaning up the flooded areas, another frozen water pipe broke in a utility closet located on the opposite side of the building. “The band area it was completely filled and our chorus room,” said Davis. “The carpet plus the auxiliary gym floors that would be the most expensive problem we could have,” said principal William McAdams. “We had a lot of water covering nearly half of that gym floor and we had to get it off real quick so we started there.” District leaders closed the school until further notice. Officials said crews are working to clean up the building throughout the night until the sprinkler system is fixed. “Right now we are just trying to get things done one day at a time,” said McAdams. “Thursday, we will look at it tomorrow and see where we need to go from there.” Students told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News they have never seen temperatures cold enough to keep them from class or do this kind of damage. “I don’t want to be in school any longer than I have to but if they can get it cleaned up quick that’s good. If they don’t we’ll just have to wait,” said student Lucas Haywood. Hardin County School District is not alone in dealing with broken water pipes. The Perry County School District has also canceled classes Wednesday due to a broken water main at Linden Middle School.
