Staff writer
High winds Friday night caused $9,000 to $15,000 damage to Hillsboro Family Aquatic Center.
Three of five large shade umbrellas were damaged beyond repair.
“Two were broken off at a weak point in the stem,” Recreation Director Doug Sisk said. “One of those ended up in the deep end, hanging off a diving board.”
One umbrella damaged the pool lip and winds pushed the other along the pool canopy, leaving several small holes.
Co-manager, Chelsea Bebermeyer said she had left four of five umbrellas open because winds were predicted to only reach 10 miles per hour.
“She checked two websites and neither indicated anything like we saw,” Sisk said. “It’s our policy to close the umbrellas if winds are predicted to reach 15 to 20 miles per hour.”
Bebermeyer was one of three who helped pull the umbrella out of the pool.
Sisk said when they are open they are about 25 feet from side to side.
Of the two unharmed umbrellas, one was closed and the other was left open. Each costs between $3,000 and $5,000, Sisk said.
“This is totally different than last time it happened,” he said. “Last time we didn’t have the umbrellas bolted to the ground.”
While the pool sustained damages, none was serious enough to cause danger to swimmers or result in closing for repairs.
High winds also created other problems in Hillsboro on Friday and Saturday.
Police Sgt. Steven Janzen was on duty when winds came in.
“There was just a lot of straight line wind,” Janzen said. “It knocked down about every south facing branch.”
Janzen helped clear roads of debris, monitor damage, and call in assistance as needed. He noticed many residents helping clear debris around 1 a.m.
“I don’t condone people being out in the road at night, but it was nice to see them pitching in to help out,” he said.
Both Lincoln Street and B Street were blocked at points during the night, Janzen said, but no major streets were closed.
However, a loader was called out to help with exceptionally big debris.
“There were lots of limbs down and a couple entire trees,” Janzen said. “I think all but one person in the electrical department was out fixing lines.”
The city burn pile was left open all weekend so residents could dispose of debris, City Administrator Larry Paine said.
“There was a lot of damaged in Memorial Park, but it’s already cleaned up,” Paine said Monday. “There was 70 foot tree that we reduced to a 12-footer.”
Tree clean up will continue until Thursday, Paine said, and if it is not all done by then, officials plan to ask volunteers to help finish off the rest.