Flash flooding from Monday morning’s heavy rainfall has destroyed ice at Jefferson City’s Washington Park Ice Arena, according to Parks Resources Division Director J.J. Gates.
Flash flooding destroys ice at Jefferson City arena (photo/Bill Pollock)
Gates tells Missourinet mud and water is inside the arena, adding that maintenance crews are on-scene assessing the damage. He says storage areas at the facility have also been damaged.
Gates says the flash flooding also damaged some nearby concession stands, and that debris is covering some ball fields.
Gates says the damage will take at least one week to clean up. He says an ice theatre camp will be impacted. Children from that camp were scheduled to perform this weekend. That won’t happen now because of the flooding, Gates says.
The Missouri Tigers hockey uses the facility for their home games. Their schedule as well as fall public skating and adult hockey rec leagues should not be impacted, although rink manager Kerri Gates said she is adjusting and working on schedules today.
Phil Stiles, Recreational Facilities and Special Services Division Director, said a maintenance crew member showed up at 5 a.m. on Monday and the whole area was under three feet of water. Stiles is optimistic they will have the facility up and running again in a month. It usually takes two to three weeks to rebuild and paint the ice surface. (Bill Pollock interviews Stiles)
The original Washington Park Outdoor Ice Arena opened in 1960.
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- Washington Park Ice Arena in Jefferson City hopes to reopen in a month (photo/Bill Pollock)
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- Mizzou hockey’s dressing room suffered soaked carpet (photo/Bill Pollock)
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- A line up mud remains on the side of the building showing how high the water rose (photo/Bill Pollock)
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- Water was as high as the top of the hockey boards early Monday morning (photo/Bill Pollock)
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- Lights reflect off the muddy water that covers the rink surface (photo/Bill Pollock)
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- Hockey gear and ice show props were damaged by the flooding (photo/Bill Pollock)
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- Flood waters were as high as three feet inside the arena (photo/Bill Pollock)
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- Workers continue to clean up debris following Monday’s flood at Washington Park Ice Arena (photo/Bill Pollock)
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- Maintenance workers pump out water inside the rink at Washington Park (photo/Bill Pollock)
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- More debris inside the Washington Park Ice Arena in Jefferson City (photo/Bill Pollock)