NATCHEZ — Monday’s hurricane blew three large vents from the roof of the Armstrong Library.

The resulting leaks caused extensive damage inside the building.

On the second floor water puddled on the floor and filled trash cans and other containers meant to slow the damage.

The water also made its way to the first floor.

Library Director Susan Cassagne said she was caught off guard by the amount of damage in the facility.

“If I would have known it would have been this bad I would have taken more precautions,” she said.

Cassagne said it was approximately 9:30 p.m. when the vents blew off and the water started coming in.

Cassagne and her husband Gabe, along with their son, went to work moving books that would have been ruined by the water.

“Water was just pouring in,” she said. “But we were able to get a lot of the (books) out of the way.”

Gabe Cassagne said he arrived at the library at approximately 7:30 a.m. Tuesday to start patching the holes left by the vents.

“It was a mess,” he said.

Gabe and his son, Richard, worked from the inside of the attic and on the roof to patch the holes with a tarpaulin.

On Tuesday morning Susan Cassagne said she was waiting for the insurance adjuster to assess the damage.

“I have no idea how much this could cost,” she said.

While Cassagne said she was unsure of the cost to repair the library she said she knows time is of the essence.

She said, as the air inside begins to warm, the water on the floor will make an excellent breeding ground for mold.

“Mold and books are not friends,” she said.