It may be several months before the latest damage to Highline’s Marine Science and Technology Center is repaired. 

“We brought in some contractors yesterday [Monday] to get quotes,” said MaST Director Rus Higley. “Due to lag times on windows, they likely won’t be fixed for three to five months.” 

Several windows were broken during the wind and rain storm on Nov. 15. 

“Waves blew out the two west windows in the classroom and then started surging into the building,” said Higley. “We were able to board them up from the inside pretty quickly but still took a lot of water in the classroom.”

Waves were so high they went over the MaST building. The nearby boardwalk on Redondo beach had some damage as well. Waves went as high as 20-25 feet, and multiple cars got a free car wash driving by the Boardwalk while driving through more than two feet of water.

Nonetheless, the MaST has stayed open.

They are “still assessing computer and electronics damage but expect the classroom instructor station is finished. The aquarium popped a couple circuits due to waves splashing in but no real issues,” Higley said.

“We are now drying out the subfloor where water drained down into.  All the animals are fine. All in all, a great excuse to do a deep cleaning of the classroom,” he said.

Highline’s main campus was closed on Nov. 15 after a power outage basically blacked out the entire campus. Power was restored by that evening.  

The storms are nothing new for the MaST, Higley said. 

“There have been a total of five big storms since the MaST was built,” he said. 

“The first one ripped off siding that was replaced.  The second one ripped off the siding again.  The replacement was a new style of siding that is built to not take damage.  The third one did $2 million worth of damage to the boardwalk and almost nothing to us.  The fourth, nothing.  

“The fifth [on Nov. 15] broke out two windows but no other damage.  End result, the modifications about six years ago are doing what they were designed to do.  The windows that failed were low bid windows designed for residential use,” Higley said. 

The MaST, including its aquarium full of native sea life, is open to the public 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. It will be closed for the holidays, including Dec. 18 and Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, 2022. 

For more information, visit https://mast.highline.edu/