CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The National Weather Service off in Charleston remains closed as an assessment continues on mold discovered in the building. The mold discovery was made last week and resulted in the evacuation of the building and an emergency contingency by the weather service staff.
“We absolutely always plan and this is something we practiced one to two times a year,” said Meteorologist in Charge Jamie Bielinski. “That way in the case something like this happens we can always make a seamless transition.”
The transition puts part of the Charleston Weather Bureau staff into the offices of the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. The rest of the staff is working out of the agency’s radar installation near the closed office.
“Everything at the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh acts exactly as it acts at our local office,” Bielinski explained. “We have employees of this office physically up there so they can continue the forecast.”
A team of four staff members from Charleston is working out of the Pittsburgh office. The teams are living in a motel and are relieved with a new team in a rotation of every four days. It’s unclear how long the process will continue. Bielinski indicated assessment of the mold at the office continues and the next step will hinge on the determination of the mold assessment.
Some local officials indicated a concern the agency might terminate the Charleston office, but Bielinski confirmed the office will not be shuttered.
“This office will be reopened,” she said.