WAREHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - A building inspector who was called in to look at roof damage that forced school officials to temporarily close Wareham Middle School determined the issue wasn’t the inclement weather — it was a hungry pack of seagulls.
Wareham Town Building Inspect David Riquina said he assumed the strong winds from Tuesday’s storm caused sections of the school’s rubber roofing to tear away, allowing buckets of rainwater to pour into the school.
But after climbing a ladder to the roof for a closer look, Riquina said he discovered that seagulls dropping quahog shells onto the roof in an attempt to crack them open had caused the rubber material to tear and deteriorate.
Officials ordered the school closed for repairs Thursday and Friday after water damaged several classrooms, the library, and an IT room.
When asked if this was a regular occurrence in Wareham, Riquina laughed and said, “this is a first.”
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