Earthquake-Damaged School Gym in Illinois Causing Controversy

October 1, 2008

An earthquake that shook much of the Midwest months ago is giving a Metro East, Ill. school district some financial aftershocks.

Officials in East Alton say the April quake caused as much as $1.2 million in damage to the gymnasium in one of its elementary schools.

The district has earthquake insurance, but school officials say the insurer won’t pay because it claims the temblor wasn’t what caused the long, vertical cracks in the gymnasium.

The school system has hired a law firm. But the district said it is assessing options ranging from tearing down the structure without rebuilding, building a new gym or retrofitting the damaged one with steel.

Information from: The (Alton) Telegraph, http://thetelegraph.com

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Illinois

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Latest Comments

  • October 1, 2008 at 2:59 am
    Jan says:
    There was no definitive assessment Einstein. I was simply explaining to the other readers that the insurer was saying it was not earthquake. Read carefully. I will let the que... read more
  • October 1, 2008 at 2:31 am
    einsteins says:
    It never ceases to amaze me that there are always geniuses out there who can definitively assess whether a specific coverage exists based upon a 4 sentence blurb which wouldn'... read more
  • October 1, 2008 at 12:53 pm
    Jan says:
    The article stated that it was denied because the damage was not due to the earthquake. It might be that the building has the cracks as a result of the foundation settling or ... read more

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