Hundreds of fans and dozens of dehumidifiers are working to dry out Phoenix’s main library Monday. A storm on Saturday hit Burton Barr Library on Central Avenue, just south of McDowell Road.
Fire Captain Reda Bigler said the flexible roof, designed to protect against storm damage, broke a sprinkler pipe.
“The microburst was strong enough that it lifted the weatherproof membrane and the tiles, which then came down and broke a sprinkler system line,” Bigler said.
Bigler said water flowed through all five floors, covering approximately 60 percent of the building. The broken pipe sent a downpour of 50 to 60 gallons of water per minute through the library. Some books are damaged, but the extent is not yet known. The library is closed indefinitely.
