PAWNEE, Okla. – After Saturday’s earthquake, much of the fallen brick and rocks in Pawnee have been collected but there are still remnants of the aftermath and damage.
Buildings, such as the Pawnee Nation Tribal Complex, have reported extensive damage following the 5.6 earthquake.
According to Billy Pope with the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission, the state is still not considered a high earthquake zone. He says building codes right now only address seismic activity to an extent, but that could change if wastewater wells continue to shut down.
The Pawnee Administration Building, an old turn of the century schoolhouse, is now filled with cracks and crumbling overheads but engineers tell tribal leaders it's structurally sound. Pawnee President Bruce Pratt says his tribe has a long way to go in terms of repairs, but refurbishing the legacy of their buildings is their number one priority.
“That almost makes it difficult, but it also makes it unique. That’s why we like using these buildings because it's a part of our history so we'd like to get it back to how it was,” said Pratt.
Pratt says he's grateful the tribe has insurance that will take care of the damage, but some residents still aren't sure how they'll pay for repairs.
If you would like more information on earthquake insurance, click here.
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