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Superstorm Damages School in Hazleton

In Luzerne County, Sandy is blamed for doing some serious damage to a school. Workers struggle with the rubber roof that was torn off the Hazleton Area School D...

In Luzerne County, Sandy is blamed for doing some serious damage to a school.

Workers struggle with the rubber roof that was torn off the Hazleton Area School District's 9th Grade Center in Hazle Township. Maintenance workers Andre Maechese said the roof was ripped off during the height of Sandy's wrath.

"We called in some custodians from other buildings to help out and they did a pretty good job of cleaning up," Maechese said.

Take a look at the inside of the school, workers do what they can to clean up the mess. That includes maintenance worker Guy Hudock who discovered the damage.

"I came in at 5 a.m. because my house was out of power so I brought my Mom down here to keep warm," Hudock said.

School official Ed Shemansky said the damage was extensive.

"A lot of things were getting ruined, the water was just pouring in at the time and there was nothing we could do about it at the time it was raining and I went up on the roof and saw it was peeled back and at that time we had to wait for mother nature to stop before we could start cleaning up," Shemansky said.

Superintendant Frank Antonelli said the school was closed when Sandy hit.

"Thank God the building was not occupied, obviously what happened but it could have been a lot worse, if faculty, staff or students were in that building," Antonelli said.

Only one wing of the school was damaged, meaning the entire school will not close. Antonelli stressed the students' education will not be affected and he already has a plan for them when school resumes.

"To report to the 9th grade center and administrators will be there waiting for them and assigning them to our high school campus, to our high school," Antonelli said.

Officials say because the damage here was extensive, there is no word on when repairs will be completed.

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