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UPDATED: New Photos of Epiphany School Flood Cleanup

Epiphany Catholic School is dealing with a "huge mess."

Epiphany Principal Mike Lootens said the water from a main break overnight in Normal was gushing up six or seven feet high and then running straight downhill into the school.

Lootens said it's a huge mess. Water was 15 inches high in several classrooms and the kitchen.

"It actually displaced a freezer to the outside of the building. It moved it and you can't even get into it because the door is not opening. It's kind of weird. And probably about five or six classrooms were heavily affected," said Lootens.

He said he hopes the water did not stay in the rooms long enough to get into the drywall. Lootens says much of the now muddy wing affected was new. He said offices, kitchen, and classrooms date to January of last year.

"There was standing water. But we think we got it quick enough," said Lootens.

He said Servpro is sucking out the water and removing saturated carpet.

"You know, it was great. A bunch of our teachers and some of our parents were here. We got a lot of calls. We couldn't use everybody. We'll probably make use of their help on Sunday when we're trying to put everything back together," said Lootens.

Lootens says they will use their parent network to do work at the school, sanitize the kitchen area, and put furniture back into the rooms.

"You know, it's always something. Something to do, I guess, this weekend," said Lootens.

He said they hope to reopen Monday.

WGLT Senior Reporter Charlie Schlenker has spent more than three award-winning decades in radio. He lives in Normal with his family.
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