A line of severe thunderstorms swept through the Houston area on May 16, which caused flooding, loss of power and the collapse of several trees on Kinkaid’s campus.
Head of School Mr. Jonathan Eades provided an update to the school community on Instagram on the morning of May 17, sharing pictures and details on the damage.
“Our campus lost some big trees, but remarkably, none fell on our buildings nor infrastructure,” he said.
Trees on the Falcon Green, the track, and a practice field were nearly completely uprooted due to the high winds of the storm, leading to much stray debris and broken fencing. A tornado warning was issued because of these hazardous winds, which reached up to 100 miles per hour according to the National Weather Service.
Elsewhere on campus, dumpsters were knocked over and moved around. The construction site was spared from much damage; only one fence was knocked over.
Mr. Eades also shared details about minor flooding on campus.
“We had some water in the DLC, but our heroes, the facilities team, were there and wet vacuumed it out immediately,” he said, referring to the campus’ dining and learning center.
An arborist will visit campus on May 18 to clean up the fallen trees and debris around campus and ensure the campus looks presentable for the end of the school year, baccalaureate, graduation and other festivities.
School was canceled on May 17 due to flooded roads and power outages across the metro area. This decision was shared with the community on the night of May 16, at which time Mr. Eades also said Kinkaid did not have power.
“Many members of our community have experienced damage tonight, and I know Kinkaid will do what it does best — take care of and assist each other like family,” Mr. Eades wrote in a messaging system called Titan HST. “Please let me know if you need assistance. Stay safe.