Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center closed after storm damage

PRAIRIE CITY, Iowa — The Visitor Center at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge is closed due to storm damage at the building from earlier this week. The Bison Day scheduled for Saturday has been canceled.

The Refuge grounds remain open to the public, sunrise to sunset.  People can drive on the grounds and enjoy the prairie, but cannot enter the building.

A spokesman told WHO 13 that the problem started Tuesday around 2 p.m. when a hailstorm hit their building. That caused holes to be punched in the building’s flat roof.

After that, a heavy rain fell coming through the damaged roof. Staff members used buckets and waste baskets to try to catch the water. The phone system was turned off to protect from damage, and computers had to be removed to dry places.

It is not known when the Visitor Center will remain open.  The leadership of the US Fish and Wildlife Service is discussing how to proceed with the cleanup of the building.

Watch for updates on when the building will reopen on the Friends of Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge Facebook page .

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