Tiffin Community YMCA is bouncing back from flooding that left several inches of water throughout the facility Monday.
Steven Crone, chief executive officer, said insurance adjusters approved of officials starting cleanup and are to visit the facility today and Friday.
Starting Monday, YMCA is to provide its fitness classes at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 46 Madison St. Classes are to be at their regular days and times and are to be in various locations in the church.
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Crone said officials hope people can use the fitness equipment in two weeks.
The equipment is to be relocated to the tennis court in the YMCA field house, across the hall from the fitness center, while the floor in the center is replaced.
One basketball court in the field house is to remain a court, and the other court is to be for exercise classes.
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PHOTO BY JILL GOSCHE
A crew pumps water from Tiffin Community YMCA’s pool Wednesday evening.
Crone said he hopes the facility's child care programs restart March 14.
He estimated it would be a least a couple of months before the pool could be used again. For those enrolled in swim lessons, YMCA is to issue credits for future sessions or refunds, if people prefer. Gymnastics classes are to be extended by the same amount of time as was missed, he said.
Members can show their membership card to get in to Geary Family YMCA in Fostoria or Sandusky County YMCA in Fremont, according to YMCA's website.
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Tiffin Community YMCA:
www.tiffinymca.org
Flooding that wreaked havoc on the facility started Monday morning.
Crone said he arrived for exercises classes at 5 a.m. He was sending members home an hour later and standing in 3 inches of water three hours later.
At one point, he turned the corner to walk in the main hallway, and water was approaching him as quickly as he was walking toward it.
Crone estimated water in the facility rose an inch every 10 minutes and estimated the water outside of the facility measured 18 inches. Inside the facility, the depth of water ranged from about 2 inches at the highest point of the building up to 6 inches. The only dry place in the facility was the banked corners in the field house, he said.
Crone said he felt helpless for a few hours Monday, and staff returned that evening to plan for cleanup.
A Clouse Construction Corp. crew has been working 6 a.m.-10 p.m. to get the facility ready to reopen.
"These guys have been amazing," Crone said.
He said officials are going to have to plan for intense work in the pool area, which sustained the most damage. Cleanup is moving quickly in other parts of the building, but the pool area requires more work than officials expected, he said.
Wednesday, a crew pumped muddy water from the pool to the parking lot. Crone said he assumes the tile in the pool area will have to be replaced.
"We need new lane lines," he said.
A staff member is starting a Facebook page about what the crew is doing each day and what officials are doing to provide services.
Crone said people have volunteered to help. Officials are going to plan a couple of days, probably Saturday and March 12, for people to help clean the facility.
Crone said he was asked whether the facility would cancel Family Fest, which it is to host in the spring.
"No way," he said. "That's an important event for us."
