Hurricane Matthew's aftermath caused several Defense Department-operated schools installations in the Southeast to close some days this week, but by Friday, all were scheduled to reopen.

Officials are still assessing damage to some schools and stores on military installations affected by the hurricane, but here are some initial reports:

  • DoD-operated schools on military installations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Cuba suffered no major damage. Some roofs will need to be patched and some water and debris cleanup is underway, "but overall, we were very fortunate," said Frank O’Gara, spokesman for Department of Defense Education Activity.
  • Schools were closed for part of the week at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Jackson and Laurel Bay, South Carolina; Fort Stewart, Georgia; and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but the last of the children at home – at Laurel Bay and Cuba – were expected to return on Friday.
  • Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials and base civil engineers are checking out damage at seven locations and are repairing ceilings, lighting and water infiltration systems, spokesman Conner Hammett said. As of now, they have no estimate of the cost of the damage. Facilities being inspected include the South Post Food Court at Fort Bragg; the main store and express and food court at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina; the main store and food court at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; the outdoor living area at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida; and some facilities at North Carolina's Pope Field and Georgia's Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield.
  • All Navy Exchange stores and Navy Lodges are open and reported minimal damage from the storm, spokeswoman Kristine Sturkie said
  • Defense Commissary Agency officials are still checking out the damage.

Karen Jowers covers military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times. She can be reached at kjowers@militarytimes.com .

Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.

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