Overnight storms Thursday did not bring any additional damage to the city of Hartford, specifically its city hall, which was damaged during the intense windstorm that blew through this past Saturday. However, the full extent of the existing damage is still being assessed, with that work set to carry into the next week.
According to an update from Hartford Mayor Kenny Hamman, following a meeting with the city’s insurance adjuster and contractor Thursday afternoon, the damage to the city hall’s roof had a trickle-down effect to the rest of the structure, causing some form of structural damage.
Engineers need to fully assess the extent of that damage, which Hamman says is currently “up in the air,” though he expects the engineers to arrive sometime in the coming week. In the meantime, Hamman says the city has chosen not to tarp the roof, despite sizeable holes and noticeable leaks when it rains, due to safety concerns. They do not want to place anyone on the roof because of the lack of structural integrity.
With that in mind, Hamman says the city is taking steps to protect equipment inside the building at this time.
The update comes with another round of potentially strong storms in the forecast through the end of the work week. The Storm Prediction Center has a marginal severe weather risk for most areas along and south of a line from Abilene to Burlington to Paola through early Friday morning. Areas in southwest Chase County are in a slight risk area.
Wind gusts at or above 60 mph are the main concern, regardless of the risk area. KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media will have updates as needed.
