Heavy Rain Causes School Roof To Collapse In Morris

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Officials said an elementary school in western Minnesota suffered major damage Friday when heavy rain caused it to collapse.

The roof at St. Mary's School, part of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Morris, collapsed late Friday night after heavy rain came through the area. Officials said the building suffered major damage as a result as well as water damage.

Crews will be spending about a week at the school cleaning up, and construction will begin as well as repair work on electrical and plumbing to make the necessary fixes. Officials said the scene is dangerous and residents in the area should stay away while crews work on cleaning up. The collapse left a 15 foot by 20 foot hole in the roof that is now tarped. Officials said water poured through the ceiling, flooding the first floor and ran down a stairwell, damaging walls and the bottom floors. There was water in the basement and some got into the church.

Later on Sunday, officials said a clean-up crew found a wine bottle plugging a hole that rainwater would normally drain through.

Police are investigating to see if the wine bottle was placed there intentionally or left on the roof and washed into the hole after the collapse.

The school is currently on summer break and doesn't hold camps so there was nobody in the building when the roof collapsed. The building is closed until further notice.

Officials at the school said the school year should not be affected by the roof collapse. The school also has a 100-year celebration coming up and that will go on as scheduled.