Ford Airport set to reopen after storm peels off section of roof

By JIM ANDERSON

News Editor

KINGSFORD – The Fontana Terminal at Ford Airport was expected to be back in operation this afternoon after a section of roof was peeled off in a thunderstorm Saturday afternoon, the airport manager said.

Construction, cleanup and electrical contractors were working in hopes of having the terminal reopened by noon, said Tim Howen.

“It’s been a long night,” he said. “There was substantial water damage.”

A section of roof approximately 40 feet by 70 feet section was lifted from the building by wind gusts exceeding 60 mph.

There were no injuries.

Sanicki Construction of Niagara, Wis., U.P. Cleaning and Restoration of Iron Mountain, and Douglas Electric of Aurora, Wis., were among the contractors on site.

Howen said the Dickinson County-owned airport has insurance coverage for such incidents.

On Saturday night, passengers on an arrival flight were bussed from Escanaba to Kingsford. A few passengers were bussed this morning to Escanaba for an outgoing flight. It was expected that, beginning this afternoon, all flight schedules would return to normal, Howen said.

The storm damage is unrelated to a contract awarded earlier this month to Superior Steel of Iron Mountain to install sloped metal roofs over the north and east sections of the terminal (about one-fourth of the total roof space).

Jim Anderson’s e-mail address is janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.

UPDATE

Flights have resumed at Ford Airport.