STANWOOD — Water damage forced at least four local schools to close this week after a record cold snap hit the area this weekend.
In the Stanwood-Camano Island district, pipes burst in four schools: Utsalady Elementary, Elger Bay Elementary, Stanwood Middle School and Port Susan Middle School. Stanwood Middle School also had “heating equipment” that needed repair, according to a district social media post.
As of Monday afternoon, most of the damaged schools in the Stanwood-Camano area were safe to reopen. Utsalady Elementary School on Camano Island was the only one in the district set to be closed on Tuesday.
“Pipes — particularly those near to or inside of exterior walls — appear to have been damaged by the record-low sub-freezing temperatures recorded across the region,” the district wrote.
Temperatures dropped to single digits over the weekend in Arlington, as low as 7 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
The Edmonds School District reported on social media that Meadowdale Elementary School in Lynnwood would be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday “due to significant water damage throughout the building.”
Two other schools in Lake Stevens had burst pipes: Glenwood and Skyline elementary schools. Both Lake Stevens schools were set to be closed Tuesday.
The Stanwood-Camano district promised another update midday Tuesday about whether Utsalady Elementary would reopen on Wednesday. Staff didn’t yet know whether students would have to make up the missing day.
“Though some books, office supplies, and walls were damaged in some of the schools, our vital equipment, computers, and furniture were not harmed,” the district reported on its website.
Though the district will swallow the repair costs for now, its insurance should reimburse them after an assessment, according to the district.
Lows were expected to hover around freezing until Thursday.
The Everett Fire Department responded to 27 “service calls” from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon — “which mostly consisted of broken water pipes.”
Sophia Gates: 425-339-3035; sophia.gates@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @SophiaSGates.
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