27 April 2023
ADNOVER, Kan. (KSNW) – The Andover tornado left a path of destruction in its rearview. The storm hit and ripped off the roof while people were inside the YMCA.
Ronn McMahon, president and CEO of Greater Wichita YMCA, calls what happened after the storm passed remarkable, commending his staff for getting people inside to safety.
“The shelter held up. It was a direct hit. The entire inside was completely damaged. There was water damage, if you recall, the roof was compromised, and it rained for two weeks right after that,” McMahon said.
The damage created a domino effect.
“We had 135 staff that didn’t have a place to go to work, so we got those staff jobs throughout our association,” McMahon said. “The East Y and the North Y are just 10 minutes away so that network is allowing us to continue to serve the Andover community,”
As builders continue to rebuild, the YMCA continues to reconnect the people it serves.
“We feel them, we hear them, and we are going as fast as possibly can, and we really appreciate coming out and communicating with them anytime there is an update so that we can keep people knowing that we are pushing as hard as we possibly can, to get this thing open,” McMahon said.
McMahon says once the construction is complete, the inside of the building will be brand new.
“You can’t think about Wichita without the YMCAs in our community; we are everywhere and trying to improve the quality of life,” said McMahon.
The Andover YMCA anticipates reopening in 2024. A water park will open at the end of May.