Storm Damage: St. Joseph Catholic Church and school in Tucson, AZ.

Risk Management Report
Diocese of Tucson
Date: July 21, 2021

Location:  St Joseph’s Church and School
Address:  215 S. Craycroft Rd.

Safety Issues:
On Tuesday night July 20, 2021, as a result of a summer “Monsoon” microburst storm. Wind and rain caused severe damage to St. Joseph’s church and school. Damage was caused to the northside interior of the church. A large stained-glass frame was pushed from its anchors and fell into the church. Although a religious meeting was in the process, nobody was injured during the storm. The same storm damaged a similar stained-glass window on the southside of the church, pushing the stained glass outside, damaging the aluminum frame. A interior lighting fixture located in the center of the church was possible damaged as the church attendees heard the fixture move as a result of the heavy winds.
Note: The stained-glass frame, which is similar to the south and north frames, and located on the westside of the church, should be checked for safety, and to ensure no damage was done to the west frame.
A marquee, welcoming all attendees to the church, located on the westside of the church was damaged and the marquee was removed by the wind and found approximately 100 yards away.
St Joseph’s School had damage to the west side awnings, possible roof damage, as well as a tree that was uprooted and damaged a steel fence, located on the southside of the school playground. The tree should be removed, and the fence repaired.
Playground equipment was damaged and thrown from its original location.
A residence belonging to St Joseph’s Church, located southeast of the church and school, had significant damage down to the roof area, with potions of the shingles removed by the wind.
In addition, it is suggested a certified arborist should check other similar trees to determine if they pose a danger of blowing over and causing further damage or injury.

Path Forward:
Both the north and south stained-glass windows and frames will require replacement, using anchors which are up to code. The previous installation of the same windows utilized substandard anchors.
The ceiling fixture located in the middle of the church, should be checked to insure it is properly mounted and stable, as it is possible it may have moved with the wind, according to witnesses.
Playground equipment once replaced should be properly mounted in the ground, to ensure a safe anchoring.
See the attached photos