21 CES continues hail storm repairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – A window was broken at building 980 (left) outside the Peterson Air and Space Museum after a hail storm at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, July 28, 2016. The photo on the right shows the repairs to the window made by the 21st Civil Engineer Squadron since the storm in 2016. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration by Robb Lingley)

21 CES continues hail storm repairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – Building 625 (left) was left damaged after a hail storm on Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, July 28, 2016. The photo on the right shows the same building after repairs made by the 21st Civil Engineer Squadron. The hail storm was one of the worst in the history of Colorado Springs as it swept across the city leaving massive destruction in its trail. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration by Robb Lingley)

21 CES continues hail storm repairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – The green on the ninth hole had damage at the Silver Spruce Golf Course (left) on Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, after a hail storm July 28, 2016. The course is now playable after repairs were made by the Silver Spruce maintenance crew. The hail storm was the sixth-most damaging event in Colorado history. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration by Robb Lingley)

21 CES continues hail storm repairs

Published Aug. 14, 2018
By Robb Lingley
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- At Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, July 28, 2018 marks the second anniversary of the sixth-most damaging event in the history of Colorado, according to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. To this day, the 21st Civil Engineer Squadron is making repairs.

On the evening of July 28, 2016, a major hail storm hit Peterson AFB, resulting in significant base-wide damage to facilities, privatized housing and vehicles.

“On Peterson AFB 200 facilities sustained some type of exterior damage, including 100 hail-damaged roofs and 600 broken windows,” said Aaron Duggan, 21 CES chief of program management. “In privatized housing, 504 roofs were damaged and nearly 1,000 windows were broken.”

21 CES also suffered hail damage to 40 vehicles and specialized equipment.

Additionally, on Jan. 9, 2017, a wind storm with gusts exceeding 90 mph hit Peterson AFB, resulting in isolated damage to roofs and exposed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment at several hangars.

“Immediately following both storms, 21 CES mobilized teams to assess damage and accomplish quick repairs,” said Duggan. “We cleared 43 miles of base roads, 200 storm drains and removed over 30 tons of debris in four hours the morning after the hail storms.”

21 CES was allocated funds to make the following repairs:

• $375,000 contract to replace nearly 400 broken windows completed in April.
• $175,000 for a damage assessment survey for 200 buildings including costs and repairs completed in March.
• $30,000 for modification to an existing roof survey contract to add more buildings and ensure a final report highlighting the hail damage completed in April.
• $3M in skylight repairs for buildings one, two, and three and the fitness center.

Today, Peterson AFB is still under repair. Reconstruction to 41 roofs base-wide has an estimated completion date of October 2018.

“21 CES continues to improve and fix our facilities and we will not stop until the project is complete,” said Duggan. “Peterson AFB is in much better shape now than it was two years ago.”