On June 23, 2010, torrential rainstorms hit the Chicago area, crippling many homes, businesses, and schools. Over 8” of rainfall in one hour was recorded in the towns of Berwyn and Cicero, causing short- term power outages that disabled pump stations at nearby schools and municipal buildings.
School District 201 was one of the hardest-hit entities, and both Morton High School East and Morton High School West suffered substantial Category 1 and 3 water intrusions from multiple entrances. Water poured into the buildings through doorways, roof leaks, and drains. Maintenance staff members were called in immediately to remove standing water and to begin the overwhelming task of restoring the field houses, stadium training areas, and over 275,000 SF of classrooms, hallways, gymnasiums, and locker rooms. Although the staff members did an excellent job of mitigating the damage, it became clear when mold appeared that professional restoration was incontrovertible.
A third-party administrator (TPA) called Platinum Restoration late in the afternoon of June 28, 2010, to inspect the damage and deliver a synopsis on the size of the loss. Our team analyzed the situation that evening and reported the loss as catastrophic. The TPA arranged a meeting with the school principals, director of school grounds, head janitors, and our large loss project management team the next morning. After a three-hour walk-through of both campuses, Platinum Restoration was contracted to perform the restoration. The district was covered by an all-risk policy, and it was our task to save whatever assets possible and make expert decisions on what could not be restored. The areas that were to be concentrated upon to restore were the Morton West girls’ gymnasium and the Morton East field house floor. Both had been impacted by water; however, they did not exhibit mold growth and could be saved with the right method of cleaning and drying. During this flooding, approximately 10% of the Morton East field house floor was only wetted and would be dried with ease.
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