McAlester storm damage

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) _ Officials in a McAlester-area school district will spend spring break cleaning up after raucous thunderstorms tore off part of the school's roof. <br><br>Frink-Chambers School

Friday, March 14th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) _ Officials in a McAlester-area school district will spend spring break cleaning up after raucous thunderstorms tore off part of the school's roof.

Frink-Chambers School District officials were assessing damage after storms with 65-mph straight-line winds moved through southeastern Oklahoma early Thursday.

Several rooms were flooded and a two-inch gas line was ruptured, Superintendent Ron Joslin said.

``It just peeled it off like an orange peel,'' Joslin said.

The storm was part of a line of severe thunderstorms that raced through central and eastern Oklahoma late Wednesday and early Thursday.

Hail the size of golf balls and heavy rains were reported, the National Weather Service said. Scattered power outages were noted in the Oklahoma City area.

Frink-Chambers is a dependent elementary school district with kindergarten through eighth grades.

Joslin said damage totals could be as high as $20,000.