BROOKVILLE, Ohio — Instead of celebrating the end of another school year, students at Brookville High School have been helping pick up the pieces of their community from the football field after severe storms and tornadoes blew through the Dayton area this week.
"We got out of school early, but not for a good reason," Brookville student Emma Garrett said. "Yeah, it's summer time, but I didn't want it to end like this."
The roof was torn from the school. Ceiling tiles are missing and lights were left hanging by wires. Two custodial workers were inside the building when the roof went, but they were both in a safe space and no one was injured.
"It was bad, but it could've been a lot worse," Garrett said. "If we didn't have the community we have, it would probably be a lot worse for everybody."
The final day of school was set for Thursday, but it's been canceled as crews are working to put up a temporary roof.
Superintendent Tim Hopkins said his biggest concern is for the students.
"This is home to them for nine months of the year, and this is the safe place they come to every day," he said. "And so, I'm sure they're experiencing the trauma as well."
They're hoping to have the repairs done and the building running before next school year.
"Now we're just taking it one day at a time, and hoping we can be back in business in August," Hopkins said.
The National Weather Service has so far confirmed 15 tornadoes touched down its Wilmington office's warning area between Monday and Tuesday. They include:
- EF3 across much of Montgomery County, including Trotwood
- EF3 across Beavercreek Township
- EF2 in NE Montgomery County south of Vandalia
- EF0 in Miami/Montgomey Counties near Phillipsburg
- EF0 southeast of Circleville OH (Pickaway County)
- EF1 south of Tarlton OH (Pickaway County)
- EF2 near Laurelville OH (Hocking County)
- EF3 in Celina, OH (Mercer County)
- EF1 in New Madison, OH (Darke County)
- EF2 in West Milton, OH (Miami County)
- EF0 in Taylor Creek Township, OH (Hardin County)
- EF1 northeast of Jamestown, OH (Greene/Fayette Counties)
- EF2 northeast of Jamestown, OH (Greene/Fayette Counties)
- EF1 west of Wapakoneta, OH (Auglaize County)
- EF0 near Waynesfield, OH (Auglaize County)
