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Bronxville Schools Superintendent Roy Montesano issued a message to the community after the village was hit particularly hard by the storm, with as many as eight inches of rain falling over a three-hour period.
The rain and flooding - which prompted a State of Emergency in the village - caused damage to a portion of the Bronxville School and playing fields.
“Spaces on the first floor of our building received up to eight inches of water while fields were underwater for a prolonged period of time,” Montesano said.
“If we did not have the flood mitigation pumps operating, we most likely would have experienced far more significant flooding with estimates of up to six feet of water in the building.”
Montesano said that an outside environmental clean-up firm was employed to remove any water, clean, and sanitize any areas that were flooded, while an industrial hygienist has been on-site to monitor the cleanup efforts.
The bulk of the damage was contained to the school’s two gymnasiums, which will have to have floors replaced and will be “offline for an extended period of time.”
Despite the flooding hardships, Montesano said that he still expects to open safely in time for students for in-person learning on Thursday, Sept. 9.
The flooding also caused damage to the track and fields at the school, which will need to be cleaned and sanitized, with repairs beginning immediately. Montesano said that Athletic Director Joe Haven has been actively seeking alternative sites for games that are scheduled for the opening week.
Montesano said that the goal is to have the field playable for the Bronco’s first home football game on Saturday, Sept. 11.
“We have closed the track and fields until those areas can be cleaned and sanitized,” the superintendent said. “Our field turf representative will be assessing any damage today so we can begin repairs immediately. They will test the fields to ensure they are safe for play.
“The district is well experienced in dealing with flood events and we are confident in our ability to get through this and have our students filling the hallways once again.”
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