Burst pipes: Cold snap damage closes schools and visitor center on Cape Cod

Eric Williams, Cape Cod Times
·2 min read

While the weekend cold snap lifted quickly, it left problems behind for schools and the Cape Cod National Seashore.

In a Sunday night email to the school community, Nauset School District Superintendent Brooke Clenchy detailed cold-caused damage to two schools. The most serious damage occurred at Eastham Elementary School, where "water pipes burst on the top floor of the three-floor wing, and substantial water found its way to each of the lower floors as it traveled," according to Clenchy.

More:Extreme cold weather due on Cape Cod: Wind chill warning issued, records could be broken

The school was closed Monday. Restoration crews are assessing the damage and fans are running to dry out the affected area, according to Clenchy.

The Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham is closed due to a pipe that burst over the weekend.
The Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham is closed due to a pipe that burst over the weekend.

There was also damage at Eddy Elementary School in Brewster, where a pipe burst in the front foyer. According to Clenchy, restoration crews were able to remove damaged pieces of the walls and ceiling and restore water and heat, allowing the school to reopen Monday.

Frozen pipes at Upper Cape schools

The Forestdale School in Sandwich was also closed Monday due to cold snap damage. A Facebook post from Joseph Maruszczak, superintendent of Sandwich schools, reported that a burst pipe at the elementary school "released a considerable amount of water" into a wing of the building that will require a "substantial amount of clean up in 13 classrooms."

More:How to stay safe when record cold temperatures hit New England

Minor water damage also occurred at the Oak Ridge school, but it happened in an area of the library not used by students, and while cleanup was required, that school opened on Monday.

According to a post on the Falmouth Public Schools Facebook page, North Falmouth Elementary School sustained two water leaks related to the cold snap, but custodians were able to fix the situation and the school opened on schedule Monday.

Seashore, Steamship Authority also slammed by cold

Burst pipes also closed Cape Cod National Seashore's Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham until further notice, according to an email to the Cape Cod Times from Linzy French, Seashore visual information specialist.

Damage from the cold weather also occurred on several Steamship Authority vessels, causing temporary disruptions in service. Water pipes burst on the M/V Martha's Vineyard and the M/V Nantucket, and the M/V Katama sustained a hydraulic line leak. In an email to the Cape Cod Times, Steamship spokesperson Sean Driscoll said that service was back to normal on Monday.

Contact Eric Williams at ewilliams@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @capecast.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Forestdale School and Eddy Elementary closed to due cold snap damage