Betty Stauffer and her staff at Literacy Volunteers of Tucson received an unpleasant surprise when they returned to work earlier this week.
The monsoon storm that swept through Tucson Monday ripped off a portion of the roof at their midtown headquarters, allowing water to pour into a computer lab, computer-server room and Stauffer's office.
The storm caved in portions of the ceiling, destroyed the computer lab and damaged the phone system, said Stauffer, the executive director for the non-profit organization.
"I lifted up my mouse, and water came pouring out," Stauffer said Tuesday. "All of the papers on my desk are soaked."
Classes have been temporarily canceled at the building for this week but will resume Monday. The organization also had to cancel its 50th birthday party, which was scheduled for Friday.
People are also reading…
The party has not been rescheduled, Stauffer said.
The cancellations affected about 50 students. The organization serves about 1,900 people at locations throughout the city, she said.
The students are mainly adults looking to improve their reading, writing, math or English-language skills.
The organization trains volunteers to help the students develop those skills, she said.
Roofers told Stauffer that about 1,500 square feet of roof blew off, which equals about one-third of the entire roof, she said. Stauffer did not have a cost estimate for the damage.
The building, on East Speedway between North Country Club Road and Tucson Boulevard, is about 5,000 square feet, she said.
Monday's weather was the first in a line of storms this week that wreaked havoc by toppling trees and power lines, flooding washes and streets, and knocking out power to thousands in the Tucson area on successive days.
The cleanup should be done by the end of the week, Stauffer said.
Other repairs, such as installing new insulation and roof tiles, could take about two weeks, she said.
"We're resolved to clean it up as fast as we can and get back to work," she said.
On StarNet: A slide show of monsoon photos is at azstarnet.com/gallery
Contact reporter Jamar Younger at jyounger@azstarnet.com or 573-4115.
