A partial roof collapse amid strong storm winds sent three students to the hospital Monday afternoon.
Around 2 p.m., Sampson County emergency officials responded to the roof collapse at the Union Intermediate School, located at 1190 Edmond Matthis Road in Clinton. Three students were transported to Sampson Regional Medical Center for minor injuries, after local Emergency Management officials, as well as local fire departments, responded to the scene.
Wendy Cabral, assistant superintendent of personnel services and public relations, reported that severe wind from a storm damaged the roof over the stage area of the gymnasium.
Bus riders were sent home at 2:30 p.m. Car riders were transported to Union Middle School for parents to pick them up. All other schools in Sampson were dismissed no earlier than 3 p.m. because of weather conditions.
The damage was assessed Monday afternoon by Superintendent Dr. Eric Bracy and other school officials.
“It could be more damage, but we could see that on the video as it happened,” Cabral said.
Cabral said the district appreciates the support from Sampson County officials and quick action from the district’s Plant Operations Department.
“We appreciate the community working with us as this time,” Cabral said.
Union Intermediate Principal Dondi Hobbs shared the same feelings as other school leaders with the school working towards a recovery plan.
“We’re still assessing what happened and we’re really glad that our children are safe,” Hobbs said.
The collapse happened amid hazardous weather warnings in Sampson County that called for a line of thunderstorms and wind gusts of up to 50 mph. Reports of damage came in from across the southern part of the county, from Garland to Clinton, which was also the site of downed trees over the weekend during similar high-wind storms.
On Monday evening, just prior to press time, Sampson County Schools announced via its Facebook page that school was canceled at Union Intermediate for students and 10-month staff. It was not clear what the plan was for classes, or whether they would be held elsewhere.
Susan Holder, Sampson County public information officer, said the exact cause of the incident has not been determined.
“There was some reported bad weather, but we don’t if that was the cause as of yet,” she said.
