In December a powerful windstorm struck the Oregon coast, tearing open the roof of Hangar B at the Tillamook Air Museum. According to museum director Rita Welch, officials and the Port of Tillamook Bay, the owners of the hangar, have spent the last month taking steps to protect the property stored inside and assessing the damage and repair strategies.
The estimated total repair costs are projected to be between $2.5 million and $5 million.
“Nothing in the future of this hangar will be quick or inexpensive,” said Michele Bradley, general manager at the Port of Tillamook Bay.
In addition to the logistical challenges of accessing the 192-foot-tall roof, the 1940s-era building is one of the largest wooden structures on the planet, and care must be taken to preserve its historical value.
Tillamook was a naval air station during World War II used for lighter-than-air submarine patrols. The airport is still in operation, and the Tillamook Air Museum remains a favorite destination of pilots.
On December 16, a 200-foot-by-30-foot hole was created when a powerful windstorm peeled back a section of the roof paneling in the southeastern end of the building. The damage is near the transition point between the convex roof and the vertical wall.
Photographs of the damage show a large flap of the paneling still attached to the roof. In an email sent to FLYING, museum officials describe it as a heavy, unstable flap that is vulnerable to more wind events. After it was determined that the rest of the building was sound, officials entered the building and relocated museum exhibits and stored property (RVs and boats) to the north end of the 1,072-foot-long structure.
However, the building remains closed to the public because the hanging flap of debris is still attached and presents an ongoing threat of potential further damage, especially if it acts like a sail in strong winds. In addition, the hole in the roof exposes the interior of the building during heavy rain, which is common on the coast of Oregon and is likely to result in more damage to the wooden trusses and internal infrastructure.
Museum and port officials have created a list of immediate operation needs, beginning with access to a high-capacity crane that can be used to remove the hanging debris and allow for a close-range inspection of the roof and the installation of a rigid, temporary cover to patch the 200-foot break to keep the rain out.
The port and museum are seeking quotes for scaffolding to reach the work zone high in the air and note that Hangar B, including the museum, will remain closed until “life and safety” certifications are renewed.
Once the equipment, funding, and materials for the roof covering are obtained, the next step will be to either secure or remove the hanging flap. Concurrently there will be what officials describe as an “aggressive push for the Save Hangar B campaign, which will include seeking out emergency state and federal grants.”
It will not be a quick process, as the port expects the hangar will undergo a “full wood density and structural-integrity test.” Repairs will need to be done in coordination with the National Register of Historic Places to ensure repair materials match 1942 standards.
The long-term goal is the permanent reroofing of the hangar, which, based on the cost of restoring a similar hangar in California, is projected to be between $30 million and $50 million.
