Location North Branch, MN Completion 2009 Services Emergency Services Structural Restoration

Tornado Damages School On August 19, 2009, a portion of North Branch Middle School was struck by a tornado, resulting in damages to portions of this 20-year-old school building. The next day, Clark was requested to visit the school to determine the scope of the damage and provide recommendations on how to proceed with remedial repairs and what areas of the building needed to be shored due to damage. Stabilizing a Stressed Facility With school scheduled to open in less than three weeks, the district was interested in determining what portions of the school could not be used for the start of the school year. Within 48 hours of the storm, Clark’s staff completed a cursory structural review of the entire building and provided recommendations on what areas needed to be shored to allow further evaluations as well as what areas of the building could be used when school was scheduled to start. Clark also provided the district and the contractor with remedial structural repairs required in the damaged areas. Communicating in a Stressful Situation Throughout the post-tornado recovery process, Clark staff was instrumental in coordinating safe and efficient responses with the School District, contractor, architect and others. Deb Henton, North Branch School District #138’s Superintendent said, “I can’t say anything but positives about the professional staff at Clark Engineering. They were attentive to our needs and communicated effectively during our stressful time following the tornado incident. We are very pleased!”