A high school gymnasium in Brooklyn, N.Y., has been deemed unsafe following Friday's magnitude 4.8 earthquake that shook the tri-state area, officials said.
According to the New York City Department of Buildings, a structural stability inspection was conducted at School for Classics High School after receiving reports of cracks in the interior, WNBC reported.
Inspectors found step cracking and vertical cracks in the interior masonry walls of the school’s gymnasium and determined that the bricks near the cracks could pose a safety issue, the DOB said. It was then determined that the gymnasium would be vacated until the repairs are finished.
According to WNBC, inspectors did not find other areas of concern at other points in the school and determined that the rest of the school can still be occupied.
Friday's seismic activity is not a common occurrence in the region. The DOB said that following the quake, the department received about 80 reports of earthquake-related damage, most of coming from Manhattan and the Bronx. Inspectors went to all affected locations to investigate and found no major damage or collapses, only cracks in walls at a few of the locations.
According to DOB commissioner Jimmy Oddo, extra engineering and inspection staff were added over the weekend, and possible damage could be discovered in the days or weeks ahead so it is important to remain vigilant and report any damage.
"To New Yorkers, we at the Department of Buildings are concerned about some of the downstream possibilities -- cracks that you might see that may materialize or manifest in a week or a month, scaffolding retaining walls," Oddo said. "If you see something that is problematic, please call 311," Oddo said, as reported by WNBC.
