http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/126261898.html

Storm repairs force closure of Canada Street for four weeks

Published Friday July 29th, 2011

Canada Street residents will have to brace for another four-week closure of their roadway near Kaine Street after the city discovered more weakness just south of a rebuilt wall triggered by the Dec. 13 winter rainstorm in the capital region.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

This is what repairs were like last summer on a Canada Street retaining wall near Kaine Street. This summer, another four weeks of work is needed to reinforce another section of the roadway that was damaged during December's rainstorm.

City council has awarded a tender for the additional repair work on Canada Street to E. Cummings Contracting Inc. for $265,843, including HST.

In 2010, the street was shut down for most of the summer when the city undertook a 70-metre repair job that it thought would do the trick, said Marysville Coun. Steven Hicks.

That contractor was KDB Engineers and Contractors Inc., which spent two months and $314,021 of city taxpayer money to stabilize the roadway and a retaining wall.

Canada Street at that point rises high above a steep slope that falls away to the Nashwaak River below.

But it was a major winter rainstorm, which dropped 106 millilmetres in just three days over the region, that caused the further problem that has to be fixed this year.

"There was a major flood on Dec. 13, 2010, which exposed some weaknesses just south of the wall where part of the shoulder began to collapse, so this year we're going to do another 50 metres southward," Hicks said.

"It's about a four-week project, and we hope to have that finished before school gets back in session."

There will be inconvenience to residents in the area, but it's essential to fix that part of the road to avoid an even more serious collapse of the roadway.

After the December rainstorm, the city hired Gemtec Ltd. to monitor the Canada Street shoulder washout.

The washout settled and temporary repairs were made, but the proper fix of the roadway needs to be done this summer.

Gemtec recommended that truck traffic stay off Canada Street pending the repairs this year.

Hicks said city staff will be meeting this week with the contractor to try to pinpoint a start and finish time on the work.

"As soon as we get information, we'll get it out to the residents and let them know when we're going to start," Hicks said.

Dylan Gamble, the city's roads and streets manager, told The Daily Gleaner in a previous interview that if the retaining wall hadn't been fixed last year, the December rains could have caused a catastrophic failure of the street, likely washing out the water and sewer systems along the roadway costing millions of dollars in repairs.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/1427543

By AMANDA BELAND
ABELAND@FOSTERS.COM

Beland/Citizen photo A fire crew responds to Seavey Pastures Road Saturday after collapsed power lines sparked a brush fire.

STRATHAM — Some residents of Stratham and Exeter lost power Saturday after a power line collapse sparked a brush fire in a wooded area off Seavey Pasture Road.

Crews from Stratham and Greenland responded to the blaze, located more than a quarter of a mile into a wooded area. Emergency officials said the heat and terrain were key challenges in combating the blaze.

The fire was contained before 5 p.m., but crews said they were proceeding with caution, as it was not immediately clear whether power had been cut to area electrical lines.

Unitil and PSNH were notified and were dispatching crews to the scene, officials said Saturday afternoon.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110730/GJNEWS_0...

Beginning of Story Content

A fallen piece of concrete has forced the closure of the eastbound lanes of Montreal's Ville-Marie Expressway and a partial closure of the westbound lanes.

Police say the 15-metre block of concrete in the Ville-Marie tunnel fell near the City Hall exit. No one was injured and no one was stuck in the tunnel.

"Our officers arrived at the scene and we verified and made sure that no one was stuck underneath the rubble," Daniel Thibaudeau, spokesman for Quebec provincial police, told reporters Sunday.

The part that fell is a screen-like slab meant to block the light, so drivers entering and exiting the tunnel are not blinded.

Construction workers on the scene told the CBC's Peter Akman they had been doing work on the walls of the tunnel and believed vibrations from that may have caused the slab to fall.

Officials have closed the eastbound lanes of the Ville-Marie expressway while investigators examine the collapse. CBC

Transport Quebec spokesperson Caroline Larose said engineers from the ministry are inspecting the structure. She tried to reassure Montreal drivers, saying the provincial government regularly inspects the city's transportation infrastructure and has invested $4 billion this year alone.

http://www.news10.net/video/732276513001/0/Raw-Video-San-Bernardino...

http://caulfield-glen-eira-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/glen-huntly-building-on-edge-of-collapse/

GUJRANWALA: A heavy explosion occurred in a private bank building causing collapse of bank, roofs of two adjacent houses of the bank and damage to a gas pipeline, besides injuring two people, on Gujranwala-Sialkot road here on late Tuesday night.

According to Rescue 1122, The explosion took place in MCB Pattomand Branch. Fire fighter teams of Rescue 1122 rushed the spot and brought the fire under control after hectic efforts.

In explosion, bank security guard, Habib s/o Afzal and Azhar s/o Muhammad Iqbal received burn injuries. Habib was shifted to DHQ Hospital in a critical condition.

DIG Gujranwala, Ahmad Mubarik, SSP Operation, Bomb Disposal Squad and other officials reached the spot and investigation was in progress.

According to Rescue 1122 the blast occured due to a gas pipeline leakage.

http://www.brecorder.com/pakistan/general-news/22015-bank-two-house...

Building collapse wreaks havoc in Karachi

* 7 killed, 15 injured as five-storey building collapses in Karachi

* Four women and two girls among dead g Rescue operation continues

By Atif Raza

KARACHI: At least seven people, including three women, three minor girls and a boy, were killed and 15 others injured when a five-storey building collapsed in Moosa Lane within the limits of Baghdadi police station, Lyari, here on Thursday.

According to police and eyewitnesses, at around 11:00am the five-storey building ‘Qasr-e-Roqayya’ fell down along Shah Abdul Latif Bhattai road.

On information, rescue teams, officials of the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) and others, rushed to the scene and recovered the bodies of seven persons. The deceased were identified as Hawwa Bibi, Khadija, Rozina, Arshia, Imran and Bilal while identity of other deceased girl could not be ascertained till filing of this report.

Rescuers said the victims Arshia and Bilal were juniors among five siblings namely Hammad, Komal and Kiran. They said that Abdul Ghaffar and Komal along with their five children were living at top floor of the building.

KBCA officials said the building was 20-year-old and was in deteriorated condition. They said that it was included in decayed buildings list and added that the inhabitants were also suggested to evacuate it to avoid any untoward incident but they refused to do so.

SSP South Naeem Sheikh expressed fear of further casualties in the incident and said that more casualties could be reported as the debris of the building was not completely removed so far and the rescue work was in progress.

SSP South further said that rescue teams along with army teams are busy in recovering the injured persons.

SHO Baghdadi Jan Muhammad said that some 20 families were living in the building. He said that although the rescue operation was expedited, the teams were facing difficulties due to dense populated area.

When contacted, DC South Mustafa Jamal Qazi said the district government on the directives of Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan had established a relief camp at Shah Latif Bhattai Hall to facilitate the traumatized persons of this incident. He said the Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Hussain Syed also visited the spot and assured the inhabitants of the area of utilising all resources for providing maximum relief to affected families.

Civil Hospital Karachi sources confirmed that all seven bodies and 15 injured persons were bought to the hospital. The deceased were identified as Arshia, 07, daughter of Abdul Ghaffar; Hawwa Bibi, 70, wife of Usman; Imran, 06, son of Usman; and Bilal, 19, son of Abdul Ghaffar, Khadija, Rozina.

They said that all injured Alia, 35, wife of Riyaz; Kulsoom, 40, wife of Yousuf; Komal, 35, wife of Abdul Ghaffar; Rabia, 6, daughter of Abdul Ghaffar; Muskan, 07, daughter of Imran; Samina, 35, wife of Imran; Adeel, 19, son of Abdul Ghaffar; Imran, 35, son of Yousuf; Parveen, 48, wife of Abdul Ghafoor; and Bilquees, 34, wife of Abbas were in stable condition.

Meanwhile, army rescue team comprising some 50 personnel also reached the site of incident along with sniper dogs but the dogs were unable to point out the people stuck under debris.

Rescuers also made the lighting arrangements to continue the rescue efforts while believed the people get stuck in debris will be brought out till morning because of the congested locations.

The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), in late hours, also issued an initial report of the collapse of the building. The technical team of SBCA, after inspecting the site of building collapse, forwarded a preliminary report of the incident to SBCA director general.

The report said

Fri, Aug. 05 2011 05:18 PM EDT

Flooding in Charlotte Prompts Evacuations, Rescues

Floods in Charlotte, North Carolina, due to torrential rains that occurred around midday on Friday have prompted evacuations, rescue attempts and flash flood warnings.

The rains began just before 12 p.m. and lasted until about 1:15 p.m., accumulating approximately three inches of rain and up to six inches in some areas.

Residents began calling in emergencies immediately, one of the first being a celling collapse at the Sola Salon on in the South end of Charlotte. No one was injured, but many women had their hair and nails ruined.

A ceiling collapse also occurred at an Embassy Suites on South Tryon Street in Charlotte. Erik Slemon of Robert Graham, LLC, was staying at the hotel and captured the fall in on his camera phone. He described the event as "fast and fierce."

"It went from completely dry to torrential downpour," he told News 14 Carolina.

"Its not something you ever expect to happen, and then you just see the ceiling coming down."

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Rains overpowered the hotels drainage pipes and causes the collapse.

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association told The Christian Post that its headquarters in Charlotte suffered no damages as a result of the floods.

But other areas of Charlotte have not been as fortunate. Police and the Fire Department have started evacuating people from two Charlotte neighborhoods. First responders to the flood rescued 16 people who were trapped in vehicles. Approximately, 77 road incidents have been reported, but none have mentioned injuries

Charlotte Fire Department spokesman Capt. Rob Brisley warned residents not to drive through flooded streets. He reported that most of the motorists required rescues because they decided to go through streets with high water.

Flash flood warnings were placed on Gaston, Mecklenburg, Cleveland and Lincoln Counties until 4 p.m.

Spokeswoman for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services, Jennifer Frost reported that parts of Interstate highways 77, 485 and 85 are temporarily shut down due to flooding.

"It came down very fast," said Frost, according to CNN. "It got so dark downtown, it looked like night."

Having worked in the area for nine years, she said she "never seen anything like this before."

http://www.christianpost.com/news/flooding-in-charlotte-prompts-eva...

The Goodale House, one of Georgia’s oldest surviving homes, partially collapsed Friday.

“I’m going to hope it can be restored, but that process lies with the current owner,”: said Erick Montgomery, executive director of Historic Augusta Inc.

Built in 1799 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 as the Fitzsimmons-Hampton House, the Federal-style, multistory building was purchased in 2009 by Wes Sims, a Birmingham, Ala., investor who—at the time—hoped to renovate the structure.

Montgomery, who visited the house today, said the collapse involves part of one wall.

“I didn’t go inside, obviously, but it could be that the rest is relatively stable,” he said.

The long vacant house was used as a restaurant in the 1970s and early 1980s and was for sale and priced in the $250,000 range for several years before ultimately selling to Sims for less than $20,000.

Efforts to locate Sims today were unsuccessful.

The surrounding area—now flanked by Bobby Jones Expressway and mammoth chemical factories across Sandbar Ferry Road—was once a 500-acre plantation established by Thomas Goodale in 1740.

Goodale also operated the Sandbar Ferry at the nearby river crossing, in addition to a restaurant and inn, according to early historical accounts.

In 1799, the year the home was built, the site was sold to a Charleston, S.C., merchant named Christopher Fitzsimmons, who later gave the home to his daughter’s new husband, Wade Hampton Jr.

His son, Wade Hampton III, would later become governor of South Carolina.

http://chronicle.augusta.com/latest-news/2011-08-05/wall-historic-g...

LAHORE: At least four people, including an old woman, were killed in separate incidents across the metropolis on Saturday. In the first incident, a youth died and fifteen others received injuries when walls of an under-construction building collapsed on the Defence Road, Engineer Town near Haloki Chowki. Police said that around sixteen labourers were asleep in a mud house when the walls of an under-construction building collapsed and their debris landed on the mud house. All the labourers were trapped under the debris. Rescuers and locals rushed to the scene and were able to shift the trapped persons to a nearby hospital where a youth, who was later identified as Yousaf, succumbed to his injuries. Among the injured persons were 20-year-old Qummar, 30-year-old Ghulam Nabi, 28-year-old Muhammad Saleem, 17-year-old Ahmad, 22-year-old Muhammad Ramzan, 18-year-old Naveed, and 20-year-old Ghulam Fareed. In the second incident, a security guard shot himself when he accidentally pulled the trigger of a revolver he was cleaning, in the Green Town police limits. The deceased was identified as 65-year-old Amanat Ali, resident of Baghbanpura, who served as a security guard in the Green Town industrial area. staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\08\07\story_7-8-2011_pg7_22

Unsafe Buildings: Teen sisters killed in roof collapse

Two sisters died and seven people were injured when two dilapidated houses collapsed during heavy monsoon rains. PHOTO:AFP

Irum, 16, and Bakhtawar, 18, were killed when the roof of their house near Crown Marriage Hall in Baghbanpura caved in, Rescue 1122 officials told The Express Tribune. The girls were killed instantly by the falling debris, they said.

Rescue officials, with the help of locals, were able to pull out five others trapped under the rubble: Ghulam Shabbir, 40, and Shahnaz Bibi, 35, and their three other children Shabbir, Natasha and Riaz. All five were moved to a hospital where they are being treated for their injuries.

Another couple was trapped under rubble when the roof of their home near Youhanabad Stop on Ferozepur Road collapsed. Their neighbours helped Rescue 1122 officials pull them free. Babar Masih, 25, and his wife Mumtaz, 23, are being treated in General Hospital where they are out of danger, said the officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2011.

For more picture of the monsoon, view a slideshow here

http://tribune.com.pk/story/227206/unsafe-buildings-teen-sisters-ki...

Collapse at Construction Site Threatens Nearby Apartments.

Update at 1:35 p.m. — See this post for the latest on the road closures surrounding the site.

Roads are closed in Rosslyn after a retaining wall partially collapsed at a construction site on the 1500 block of Clarendon

A large retaining wall at the Sedona and Slate apartment construction site gave way following this evening’s heavy rains, allowing earth and debris to spill into the construction pit. The collapse raised fears of an even bigger structural collapse.

Clarendon Boulevard will be closed between Pierce Street and Oak Street “for the foreseeable future,” according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl. Parts of Ode Street and several other roads in the area are also closed.

The Swansen Apartments, at 1625 N. Ode Street, has been evacuated while structural engineers determine whether the building is in danger of collapsing as a result of the failed retaining wall. The building sits on the edge of the landslide that occurred after the wall collapse.

Residents of the Swansen Apartments, who spoke to ARLnow.com on the condition of anonymity, said that they’ve noticed widening cracks in the building’s basement and in the pavement of the parking lot adjacent to the building within the past two weeks. The residents said they recently saw workers measuring the cracks.

About 10 apartment residents have been displaced and will be placed in temporary housing, Karl said. He said other residents found alternate housing on their own. Between 20 and 35 people live in the building, according to resident and fire department estimates.

As of 11:00 p.m., Clark Construction, the primary contractor on the Sedona and Slate project, had around a dozen employees on scene assessing the situation. Arlington County engineers were also on scene, Karl said. The Red Cross arrived to assist displaced residents, and the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department arrived to provide food and drink to emergency workers.

So far, there has been no indication that there’s any danger to a large construction crane at the site.

Construction Site Collapse Closes Down Clarendon Boulevard, Residents Evacuated From Apartments

Updated: Monday   , 08 Aug 2011, 6:07 PM EDT

ROSSLYN, Va. - A construction site collapse on Clarendon Boulevard has left a big traffic mess and has caused an apartment building in Rosslyn to evacuate.

The collapse is due to a support wall giving way, causing cracks in the apartment building.

Residents are in hotels on Monday and officials are not sure for how long.

For the residents who live in the four-story apartment, it was an awful sound and feeling.

“We heard this banging sound. It sounded like somebody was hitting a piece of metal with a crowbar and all the welds just snapped and basically the whole thing starts subsiding,” said resident Will Dickinson.

He ran to his truck parked right next to the construction site.

“I jumped in my truck and I had about 30 seconds to spare and I backed my truck out and the whole thing fell down like 40 feet,” said Dickinson.

Arlington County officials say recent rain might be to blame for the issues of the support wall.

“It's because of the water content in the soil. The past couple of days, we’ve had [lots of] rain and the hydraulic pressure was too much,” said Shahriar Amiri, Arlington County’s Chief Building Official.

There were rumors of a huge crane leaning and even a sinkhole opening up, but officials say that was not the case.

Clark Construction, the developer of the property, immediately took care of the residents and placed them in a hotel across the street.

“We’re doing everything we can for the residents and our highest priority is the safety of the building as well as the residents,” said Brian Abt of Clark Construction.

All day long, crews have been bringing dump truck after dump truck filled with dirt as they attempt to secure the foundation.

Officials believe Clarendon Boulevard will likely be closed Monday night.

It is also likely going to be a day or two before the residents can move back home. Construction crews not only have to secure the land around that building, but they also have to make sure the building was not structurally damaged.

Statement from Clark Construction Group, LLC:

"On Sunday night, officials at Clark Construction were notified of a failure in the sheeting and shoring system that supports the excavation at Sedona & Slate, a residential housing project in Rosslyn, Va. As a safety precaution, the residents of an adjacent apartment building were evacuated, and accommodations are being provided for them at a nearby hotel. Clark is working closely with structural engineer Allyn Kilsheimer and Arlington County officials to investigate the situation and proceed with appropriate measures.

Our highest priority is the safety of the adjacent building and its residents. We will provide more information as it becomes available."

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/virginia/construction-site-collapse...

Heavy weekend rain damages homes in Lower Paxton, Susquehanna townships

Published: Monday, August 08, 2011, 6:51 PM     Updated: Monday, August 08, 2011, 8:32 PM

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/08/heavy_weekend_ra...

Deck collapse in Alexandria sends 16 people to hospital

Multiple injuries after deck collapses at Lake Geneva home

By: Amy Chaffins, Alexandria Echo Press

The deck on a Lake Geneva home collapsed Friday night and left several people injured.

Autorities reported that 16 people were treated at Douglas County Hospital for injuries they suffered in the collapse.

Just after 8 p.m. Friday, August 12, Douglas County Disatch received several 911 calls reporting there were 20 to 25 people on the deck when it collapsed at 1404 East Lake Geneva Road. Barbara Thompson is the homeowner.

Emergency personnel were called in from across the area: North Ambulance, Parkers Prairie Ambulance, Glacial Ridge Ambulance, Alexandria Fire Department, Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Alexandria Police Department, Carlos Police Department and Minnesota State Patrol.

http://www.echopress.com/event/article/id/87137/

Heavy rain floods roads, traffic hit

http://www.asianage.com/delhi/heavy-rain-floods-roads-traffic-hit-356

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A stage collapsed during a powerful storm at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday, sending steel scaffolding into the terrified crowd below and killing at least four people among fans awaiting a performance by the country band Sugarland.

The collapse came moments after an announcer warned of the advancing storm and gave instructions on what to do in event of an evacuation. Witnesses said a wall of dirt, dust and rain blew up quickly as a gust of high wind toppled the rigging. People ran amid screams and shouts, desperate to get out of the way.

Hundreds of concert-goers rushed afterward amid the chaos to tend to the injured, many with upraised arms seeking to lift heavy beams, lights and other equipment that blew down onto the crowd. Many of the injured were in the VIP section closest to the stage. Emergency crews set up a triage center in a tunnel below the grandstand at the Indianapolis fairgrounds.

About 40 people were injured, including at least one child, WTHR reported. Witnesses reported seeing many people with head and neck injuries and broken bones.

Todd Harper, spokesman for Wishard Memorial Hospital in the city, said later Sunday that at least 18 patients were brought in. He said their problems ranged from head injuries and bone fractures to lacerations and other cuts and bruises. He said those injuries were not life-threatening and conditions ranged from fair to critical.

One was a 7-year-old child, he said, but didn't elaborate further.

"We set up a command center and a page was sent out to staff to call the command center," he said, adding the hospital hadn't seen such a sudden influx of patients since a tornado outbreak in 2000. "This was unusual. We can't think of an incident that compared to this mass of people" arriving.

Indiana State Police 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten said the number of injured could rise because some people may have taken themselves to hospitals.

Bursten said the injuries ranged from cuts and scrapes to "very serious injuries" and that it was a "very likely possibility" that the death toll could also climb.

Emergency crews continued to search the fairgrounds early Sunday to ensure there were no other injured concert-goers who might have wandered off after the collapse, Bursten said.

Fair officials canceled all activities Sunday. The fair, which runs through Aug. 21, was expected to resume Monday with a service honoring the victims, he said.

Bursten said emergency personnel and fair officials were monitoring the weather because a severe storm had been expected to hit the area around 9:15 p.m. But the storm hit shortly before 9 p.m.

He said preparations were being made to evacuate the facility but that the "significant gust of wind" struck the stage rigging that holds lights and other equipment before the evacuation plan was activated.

"As we all know, weather can change in a very rapid period of time," he said.

Concert-goers said the opening act by Sara Bareilles had finished and the crowd was waiting for Sugarland to take the stage. They said an announcer had alerted them that severe weather was possible and gave instructions on what to do if an evacuation was necessary. But the same announcer said concert organizers hoped the show would go on, and many fans stayed put.

The wind that toppled the rigging came just minutes after that announcement, fans said.

"It was like it was in slow motion," concert-goer Amy Weathers told the Indianapolis Star. "You couldn't believe it was actually happening."

Associated Press photographer Darron Cummings was in the audience attending the concert as a fan shortly before the collapse. He said he and his companions sought shelter in a nearby barn after seeing the weather radar and eyeing dark clouds approaching.

"Then we heard screams. We heard people just come running," Cummings

Heavy rain causes partial house collapse in N.J.

Tags:

new jersey, gloucester county, rain, flooding, local/state

GLASSBORO, N.J. - August 14, 2011 (WPVI) -- A surge of heavy rains caused part of a home in Glassboro, New Jersey to collapse Saturday morning.

Crews arrived at 407 Deptford Road just after 11:00am and found that the back part of the house had caved in.

The two homeowners and their pet were able to get out without being injured.

Authorities remain on the scene making sure the rest of the house stays up.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8306047

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/No-pleasant-shower...

Chicago....2 buildings collapse August 11, Waveguide blog post

http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/chicago-two-buildings-coll...

Storms ravage Cumberland

Dave Federico of Bridgeton walks with his granddaughter Adrianna, 5, to see the extent of the flooding damage from Sunset Lake on Mayor Aitken Drive in Bridgeton Monday August 15, 2011. - Staff

Zoom

UPPER DEERFIELD -- Officials in western Cumberland County scrambled Monday to assess damage after heavy weekend rains triggered devastating floods that carried off entire sections of road and drained two major lakes connected to the Cohansey River.

 Officials worked Sunday night into Monday to close off sections of roads in Hopewell and Upper Deerfield, where the bulk of the damage occurred, and other areas made treacherous by floodwaters. 

 In some spots, entire sections of road simply disappeared, carried away by the rushing water. Only gaps remained.

At Seeley Lake in Upper Deerfield, the flood obliterated a spillway at Finley Road, allowing water to flow freely out of the lake. The lake was almost completely drained Monday afternoon, while another downstream -- Sunset Lake -- wasn't far behind.

Meanwhile, the floods decimated the road system in northwest Cumberland as officials partially or completely closed more

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/PUN-LUD-six-houses-collapse-in-thr...

Large church wall collapses in Frankford

  by CHAD PRADELLI

FRANKFORD - August 16, 2011 (WPVI) -- Investigators are trying to figure out why a huge church wall came crashing down in the Frankford section of Philadelphia.

Nearby residents embraced, saddened by the gaping hole in the Central United Methodist Church.

The wall came crashing down into a pile of rubble Monday night, but neighbors say the façade began to crumble on Saturday.

"Yesterday, it wasn't that bad. Yesterday, the wall wasn't down. Now, looking at it today, if there is a God, it's going to get fixed," resident Virginia Hughes said.

Why the wall gave way is still being investigated.

Heavy rains could have contributed to it.

Engineers were on scene Tuesday evening surveying the damage.

Other areas of the church also appear to be unsecure.

A fence now surrounds the building.

The church has been largely shut down for the past several years, but residents say it would serve as sort of food bank once a week.

"We go in there every Thursday to get food, they help the neighborhood out...it doesn't look like we are going to be able to go in there now," resident David Rahn said.

Frankford Group Ministries owns the building.

Licenses and Inspections cited the group today for an unsafe building and says the owner is cooperating with the department.

"This is our church, we live on this street, this is our church and it's sad, very sad," resident Heather Steward said.

Attempts to contact Frankford Group Ministries have been unsuccessful.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8309686

Philly is another city that can't seem to catch a break.  Gas explosions and sinkholes are a daily occurance and now the city seems to be crumbling around them.  I can't find the post but there was another church recently that bit the dust. 

Atlanta Workers Injured After Roof Collapse

• Video
• Photo

Three workers were injured after a house under renovation had its roof collapse in southeast Atlanta Wednesday, according to firefighters.

Atlanta Workers Injured After Roof Collapse

Updated: Wednesday, 17 Aug 2011, 6:00 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 17 Aug 2011, 2:04 PM EDT

By MYFOXATLANTA STAFF/myfoxatlanta

ATLANTA - Three workers were injured after a house under renovation had its roof collapse in southeast Atlanta Wednesday afternoon, according to firefighters.

Officials say one worker was critically injured and two others suffered minor injuries after the roof caved in at a home on Flat Shoals Avenue. The men were transported to the hospital, where they remained as of Wednesday afternoon. 

Firefighters said the three men were initially trapped on the second floor of the home. Two men were able to free themselves, according to officials.

“The debris was somewhat light, so that was able to be quickly removed,” said Capt. Jolyon Bundridge of the Atlanta Fire Department.

Reportedly, no one was living at the house at the time.

The Atlanta Code Enforcement Office is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse, according to fire department officials.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/Atlanta-Workers-Inj...

 

 

 

Updated: Wednesday, 17 Aug 2011, 6:00 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 17 Aug 2011, 2:04 PM EDT

By MYFOXATLANTA STAFF/myfoxatlanta

ATLANTA - Three workers were injured after a house under renovation had its roof collapse in southeast Atlanta Wednesday afternoon, according to firefighters.

Officials say one worker was critically injured and two others suffered minor injuries after the roof caved in at a home on Flat Shoals Avenue. The men were transported to the hospital, where they remained as of Wednesday afternoon. 

Firefighters said the three men were initially trapped on the second floor of the home. Two men were able to free themselves, according to officials.

“The debris was somewhat light, so that was able to be quickly removed,” said Capt. Jolyon Bundridge of the Atlanta Fire Department.

Reportedly, no one was living at the house at the time.

The Atlanta Code Enforcement Office is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse, according to fire department officials.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/Atlanta-Workers-Inj...

LAHORE

A CHILD died and his two sisters sustained injuries when the roof of their under-construction house caved in at Bagarrian, Green Town, on Wednesday.

According to Edhi officials, three children of Raees Ahmad of Maryam Colony were asleep in a room when the roof of the room collapsed. Two-and-a-half-year-old Awais, five-year-old Maryam and four-year-old Sidra came under the debris. Locals with the help of rescuers removed the children from the rubble and rushed them to hospital where Awais was pronounced dead. The condition of the other two was also stated to be critical.

woman killed in firing: A 70-year-old woman was shot dead when a man opened fire on his brother in the Kot Lakhpat police area on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Raisham Bibi, a resident of Madina Colony, Kot Lakhpat. Police said her neighbour Abid Bashir exchanged harsh words with his younger brother Khalid Bashir over a domestic issue.

Meanwhile, Abid whipped out his weapon, upon which, his younger brother rushed outside the house.

Abid chased him allegedly fired shots at him. As a result, Khalid and Raisham Bibi sustained bullet wounds. They were taken to hospital where Raisham succumbed to her injuries while Khalid s condition was stated to be out of danger.

The accuse Abid managed to escape from the crime scene. Police have removed the body to morgue and registered a murder case against the accused on the complaint of the deceased s son Mukhtar.

Woman killed: A woman died and two men suffered injuries in two road accidents on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Nazia, 25 and the injured as Farman and Tariq.

Farman and his sister Nizia of Karol village, Kala Khatai Road, were going on a motorbike when a rashly driven van hit and injured them near Double Roads Stop on Bund Road. They were taken to hospital where Nazia was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, a 60-year-old man, Tariq, was injured when a rashly driven rickshaw hit him near Yad Gar Chowk. He was shifted to hospital where his condition was stated to be stable.

burnt: A fire broke out in an old railway carriage parked at Cantt Railway station on Wednesday.

The cause of fire which completely damaged the carriage was yet to be ascertained. Fire-fighters extinguished the fire after hectic efforts.

Meanwhile, and other goods were reduced to ashes when a fire broke out in a medical store located near Shaukat Khanam Hospital on Wednesday.

According to Edhi officials, a fire erupted in the medical store due to short-circuit which burnt medicines and other valuables worth thousands of rupees. Rescue 1122 put out the fire after hectic efforts. No casualty was reported.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=63333&Cat=5...

Construction worker injured in wall collapse in Piscataway

PISCATAWAY — A 25-year-old Maryland man was injured on Wednesday when part of a third-floor wall at a townhouse and condominium complex being built on the former Fairway Golf Center property collapsed.

Piscataway fire companies set up a rope rescue and rescue basket to lower him to paramedics because no stairs had been built to reach where he was working.

At about 9:10 a.m., police and firefighters were called 1650 Stelton Road, where the complex is under construction. The former golf center had housed a driving range, go-carts and miniature golf course.

Artie Hayducka, fire commissioner of New Market Fire District 1, said the worker was on the third floor of the building when a wall of wood planks, weighing about 200 pounds, collapsed on him.

Police said the wall fell on the worker’s back and he was in severe pain and unable to move. The worker’s name was not released by police. Police said he worked for Piscataway-based Edgewood Properties.

The worker was pulled from the debris. Because there were no stairs to reach him, the first arriving units had to climb makeshift ladders to reach the worker.

Hayducka said Incident Commander Edward McDermott requested a mutual-aid ladder truck from the New Market Fire Department to help extricate the worker and lower him to the ground.

Hayducka said the North Stelton Fire Rescue Company responded and set up a rope rescue system. New Market Fire Truck 6 was called in to assist with placing the patient into a rescue basket and lowering him to awaiting paramedics, who transported the worker to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

Hayducka said the worker appeared to have suffered head, back and leg injuries.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20110817/NJNEWS/308170021/Co...

No injuries reported in partial collapse of apartment building on South Bridge Street in Holyoke

Published: Thursday, August 18, 2011, 12:12 PM     Updated: Thursday, August 18, 2011, 1:59 PM

HOLYOKE - No injuries were reported following the partial roof collapse of an apartment building on South Bridge Street Thursday morning.

“Police and fire are down there right now,” Sgt. David M. O’Connell said of the building at 532 and 534 South Bridge St., early Thursday afternoon.

Lt. Thomas Paquin, spokesman for the Holyoke Fire Department said more than 30 families were evacuated.

“If you look at the sidewalk and see the piles of bricks on it, it’s amazing that nobody got hurt,” Paquin said, adding that several vehicles parked in front of the building were damaged by falling debris.

Paquin said that tenants from 530 and 542 South Bridge were also evacuated, as a precaution, following the late morning collapse and will likely be allowed back into their homes later Thursday.

View Larger Map

Photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanHolyoke Fire Department Capt. Mark Fortin checks out the damage to the facade of 534 South Bridge St., Holyoke.   

 

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/08/no_injuries_reported...

Giant hole in Northfleet

 
Thursday, August 18, 2011
9:40 AM

Motorists are being diverted in Northfleet after a mysterious road collapse which has left workmen scratching their heads.

Shopkeepers and motorists were surprised to discover a large section of Dene Holm Road had fallen in on Thursday morning and the road was closed to traffic.

Kent County Council sent out a team of contractors to try to uncover the cause of the 1ft deep hole which covers a large section of the road outside a row of shops, but to no avail.

Chalk caves

Jo Roberts, of All Season Florists, said: “It’s right out- side my shop. I’m not sure if it’s affecting the customers yet but they can certainly see the road is closed and we haven’t been told how long it’s going to take.

“I noticed it right away. It’s about half way across the road and about a foot deep.

“It was built on old denes, so maybe it’s been caused by one of those but it’s just a guess.”

Denes or dene holes are usually a series of underground chalk caves.

The council said the street was fairly old but its contractors were baffled as to the cause, although one theory was it had become water damaged.

A spokesman said: “We have since excavated to try to establish the cause of the collapse, but this is not yet known. An instruction has been given to our contactor to strengthen the area, re-pave and re-open the road as soon as possible.”

http://www.gravesendreporter.co.uk/news/giant_hole_in_northfleet_1_...

Victory Boulevard still closed in Travis after morning crane collapse

Published: Thursday, August 18, 2011, 3:13 PM     Updated: Thursday, August 18, 2011, 3:17 PM

Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-HammelA crane toppled this morning in Travis, but no injuries were reported.  

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Victory Boulevard remains closed in both directions from Melvin Avenue and West Service Road in Travis, where a crane collapsed at a construction site this morning.

Delays and diversions are possible for the S61, S62, S66, S941, S92 and S93 buses.

Nobody was reported injured at the work site, at Victory and Glen Street in the incident, and the crane operator was able to walk away.

Crews appeared to be working in Independence Park -- a three-acre, $1.2 million park that opened in June.

Here is footage from the scene:

  Crane topples in Independence Park in Travis Nobody was hurt and the crane operator was able to walk away unharmed. Watch video   

http://www.silive.com/westshore/index.ssf/2011/08/victory_boulevard...

SHANGHAI - Two workers died and four others were injured when a scaffold collapsed at a construction site in Shanghai's Pudong New District on Thursday, local safety authorities said.

The accident happened at 11:30 am at a construction site for a new urban railway route near Luoshan Road, the Shanghai Work Safety Administration said in a press release.

It said all the six workers were working on the scaffold when it collapsed.

The four injured are being treated for fractures at a local hospital. Their injuries are not life-threatening, the press release said.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-08/18/content_13144772.htm

Infant killed in roof collapse

LAHORE, Aug 17: A two-and-a-half-year-old boy was killed and his two minor sisters were injured when the roof of their single-storey house collapsed near Bagrian Chowk in Green Town here on Wednesday.

Rescue 1122 personnel said the victims were asleep at the time of the incident.

Injured Awais and his sisters Sidra, 6, and Maryam, 9, were ferried to Jinnah Hospital with multiple injuries where Awais was pronounced dead.

Raees Ahmad, father of the children, told rescuers that the roof was being repaired after the seepage due to recent rains.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/08/18/infant-killed-in-roof-collapse.html

WILDWOOD, N.J. (AP) — Authorities say five people were injured when a ride partially collapsed at a New Jersey amusement park where a girl fell to her death from a Ferris wheel in June.

Wildwood police say the center mast snapped on the sea dragon ride Friday night. It's a pirate ship that swings riders back and forth high into the air. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the mast to break.

Officials say a teenager was sent to the hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening. Four others were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The collapse was the second serious accident at the Morey's Mariner's Landing Pier this summer. An 11-year-old girl died in June after falling from a Ferris wheel.

A park statement said the partial collapse was being investigated.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/national/128122048.html

3 injured in building collapse in Graduate Hospital

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - August 22, 2011 (WPVI) -- Three workers are hospitalized after a 3-story building collapsed Monday morning in the Graduate Hospital section of South Philadelphia.

The collapse happened just before 7:00 a.m. on the 700 block of S. 15th Street.

The workers were on scaffolding when the 3-story brick building collapsed. Police said a 40-year-old man suffered head, neck and back injuries and was hospitalized in serious condition.

Two other workers, ages 28 and 41, were being treated at a hospital for minor injuries. The same building suffered a partial collapse last Wednesday. The Red Cross is currently helping the tenants of the apartment building.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8319630

A severe storm that many are calling a tornado struck the Ontario community of Goderich Sunday afternoon, tearing apart buildings in the town centre.

"There's a lot of devastation in the downtown area," OPP Sgt. Dave Rektor told the Toronto Star. "Everyone is working to make sure everyone is present and accounted for."

"As a result of that, we've got buildings that have collapsed, we've got roofs missing, we've got cars overturned, a lot of debris strewn everywhere," Rektor told the newspaper.

Col. Morris Brause, commanding officer of the Essex-Kent Scottish regiment, was caught in the midst of the storm as he drove through Goderich, a community on Lake Huron, while hail, the size of golf balls, rained down.

He described the scene as chaotic. Roofs were torn off the tops of houses, trees were uprooted, windows in the business centre were blown out.

"The downtown has been completely devastated," Brause said by telephone. "There's no doubt in my mind this was a tornado. Goderich has been very badly hit."

A retired police officer, Nigel Tilley, told Wingham radio station CKNX that "the Court House Square is a complete disaster." Goderich is best known for the square, from which major streets radiate in eight directions.

The Ontario Provincial Police were asking the public to stay away from the town Sunday night as emergency crews attempted to respond to calls.

Traffic was being detoured and police are not allowing motorists to enter the downtown area.

Witnesses to the storm were posting their accounts on Facebook.

One witness said she was still shaking after the storm passed through her yard.

"Mass destruction. Goderich is completely shut down. I have no hydro but hear that houses are gone."

Brause said the sky darkened very quickly as he drove on Highway 21, approaching the bridge that leads into Goderich's downtown area.

It began to hail so hard that it appeared as though the surroundings were being blanketed in a grey fog.

"We couldn't drive," he said, adding that cars had to stop at the side of the road because it was impossible to see.

"It was the worst kind of hailstorm," he said, adding that it reminded him of a scene in the movie Twister.

"People are shaking their heads in disbelief."

Goderich, which has about 8,000 people, is on the shore of Lake Huron, about 225 kilometres west of Toronto, and is known for having been named "the prettiest town in Canada" by Queen Victoria, although she never visited.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Buildings+collapse+storm+tears+th...

Power line tower collapses, closes Lewis Road in Genesee Township

Published: Monday, August 22, 2011, 11:57 AM

GENESEE TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Lewis Road, east of Dort Highway has been shutdown because of a collapsed power line tower, according to 911 dispatch.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2011/08/power_line_tower_...

Route 7 reopens after crane collapse

Monday - 8/22/2011, 7:14pm  ET

TYSONS CORNER, Va. - A crane collapse crippled traffic in the Tyson's Corner area Monday as the fallen piece of equipment blocked the westbound lanes of Route 7 during the evening rush hour.

The incident caused major delays on Route 7, with drivers having to detour onto the Inner Loop of the Capital Beltway in order to avoid the incident.

Traffic reopened on Route 7 around 7:30 p.m. Monday.

Virginia State Police, Fairfax County Police and construction crews worked for three hours to remove the crane from the roadway.

No one was injured when the crane collapsed.

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2508207

 

Thanks to a grant from Norton Healthcare, this story and others are available in real-time closed captioning on WDRB.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- What appears to be a freak accident killed a man working on a house in Mockingbird Valley.

Emergency crews were called to a private residence on Mockingbird Valley Drive about 1:45 this afternoon.

A group of workers from Griffin Plumbing was trying to remove a concrete barrier from a window well when the concrete collapsed and crushed one worker.

Crews worked frantically to free the man, but he died at the scene.  His identity has not been released.

http://www.wdrb.com/story/15317238/one-person-dies-while-working-in...

PHOTO UPDATE: Minor damage reported in Franklin County

 

 

Reports of a partial collapse in Fayetteville have been confirmed by Franklin County Emergency Services.

An attic and roof suffered damage in the aftermath of the earthquake.  A neighboring house had a chimney collapse, blocking the road with debris.

There are also reports of minor damage to some other structures throughout the country.  They mention more reports of damage may come in once people get home from work.

*Note - The picture is just a representation, not an actual picture.

http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/PHOTO-UPDATE-Minor-damage-rep...

Kristen Johnson

Damage in Tysons Corner, Va.

In the wake of this afternoon's 5.9 quake, reports of damage have come from around the region.

A library at 15th and Euclid street N.W. suffered a partial roof collapse.

The National Cathedral suffered damage to its parapets (spire-like rooftop edging), and there is debris currently resting in the grass there. At least one of those peaks is noticeably missing its top. The Cathedral is currently closed.

Washington Reagan National Airport has some ceiling tiles down, although flights are still departing. Arrivals were temporarily suspended, but have resumed. Dulles has all flights coming and going; BWI has some delays, but none are severe.

A large water pipe broke at the Pentagon, causing considerable flooding in some corridors on the third and fourth floors of Ring A. The water has been shut off, but will be turned back on soon. A Pentagon official said that is the only damage they know about at this time.

Multimedia

PHOTOS
5.8 Earthquake

Prince George's County says it has 37 schools with damage, and the County Courthouse in Upper Marlboro, Md., has a noticeable crack in wall. Four high-rise apartment buildings in the 3200 block of Curtis Drive in Hillcrest Heights, Md., were evacuated due to structural concerns, and a building at 3208 Curtis Drive has been condemned. Close to 250 people have been displaced. The county's Emergency Management team is openin

http://andhravilas.com/movienews/231032/2/Road-collapse-near-fever-...

 

 

 

Rick Tonini

 

 

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – A day at work turns tragic when a wall caves in and kills a contractor fixing up a historic home in Mockingbird Valley.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office says 33-year-old James Laslie of Crestwood died from multiple blunt force injuries. He worked for Griffin Plumbing and Piping.

Tuesday afternoon Laslie was working on a home that is part of the Old Duncan Estate on Mockingbird Valley Road near Mellwood Avenue. "This home has been vacant for sometime," said Rick Tonini, spokesman for St. Matthews Fire Department.

"It can't be tore down so it is being refurbished," said Tonini. "It was in pretty bad shape when they started."

A few construction crews were there working on some repairs. Tonini says Laslie was working on waterproofing the basement and was using a backhoe. Laslie then stepped into a six foot deep trench to remove dirt. That's when Tonini says one of the three concrete walls surrounding a window collapsed.

"Apparently they undermined this three wall containment and when it did, it tilted away from the home and when it did it crushed the operator against the side wall of the open trench," said Tonini.

When EMS arrived they pronounced Laslie dead at the scene. A rescue quickly turned into a recovery and for nearly three hours, fire crews safely worked to remove the man's body.

OSHA and Louisville Metro Police were on the scene conducting investigations. No one else was hurt.

http://www.wave3.com/story/15320357/trench-collapse-at-historic-moc...

Five hurt in Kier school scaffold collapse

Five construction workers have been taken to hospital after scaffolding and cladding collapsed at a new academy building under construction in Shropshire.

The incident happened at around 4.25pm this afternoon at the Abraham Darby School on Ironbridge Road in the Madeley area of Telford where Kier Moss is main contractor on the £35m new academy job.

Two rapid response vehicles, four ambulances, the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford, the Hazardous Area Response Team and two paramedic managers were sent to the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “When ambulance staff arrived, they found a large metal structure that had been put up around the school had collapsed.

“At the time of the collapse a number of workman had been on the structure and had become injured as a result of the incident.

“In total, there were four serious injuries:

“A man in his 40s had suffered spinal injuries. He was immobilised using a neck collar and spinal board and was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

“A man in his 50s had leg and chest injuries, a man in his 20s had abdominal injuries and another man in his 20s had back and pelvic injuries. All three were taken to Princess Royal Hospital in Telford which had been alerted to the possibility of a large number of patients.

“The final patient was a man who had minor injuries and was taken for a check up.

“The ambulance service worked with colleagues from the fire service to get all of the patients out of the wreckage of the collapsed structure. The structure was then searched to ensure there were no further patients.

“Despite the complexity of the incident and the difficult working conditions, all of the patients were on route to hospital within only an hour of the first 999 call.”

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2011/08/25/five-hurt-in-school-...

http://www.wten.com/story/15336427/columbia-st-in-hudson-closed-aft...

Structures collapse after Fairfield Beach Road is pounded by Irene

Tom Cleary, Staff Writer

Published 03:30 p.m., Sunday, August 28, 2011

FAIRFIELD –Three structures on Fairfield Beach Road collapsed as Hurricane Irene slammed into the town's beach area Sunday morning right as high tide rushed in.

Residents fled the area, most on Saturday, and officials were not immediately aware of whether anyone was injured or not during the storm.

The storm surge pushed the Long Island Sound waters more than a half-mile inland.

Water spread from the coast up as far as One Road Highway off of Reef Road, damaging numerous houses.

Fairfield emergency crews used jet skis to get to the site of one of the houses that collapsed around 1 p.m.

Police spokesman Sgt. Sue Lussier said rescues were underway at the Fairfield Beach Road area where several homes had already collapsed. She urged residents to stay away from the area

http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Structures-collapse-after-Fairfi...

Dam at Ravine Drive in Jeopardy, Officials Say; Road May Collapse

Ravine Drive is closed indefinitely, from Matawan Ave. to Wykoff Street 

A dam break threatens Ravine Drive alongside Lake Lefferts in Matawan on Sunday. Credit:

Rising waters from Hurricane Irene have caused a partial break in the dam on Lake Lefferts, along Matawan's Ravine Drive, forcing the borough to close a key portion of the road indefinitely.

Fire department personnel responded to the break. Fire Chief Zoltan Varsanyi described the activity as precautionary because the area still faced another wave of heavy rain and wind from the back end of the storm.

"Hurricane water is overflowing the lake; the dam can't hold it. The dam's failing," Washington Engine First Lt. Chris Lambrose said at the scene. "It washed out the road on Ravine Drive."

Borough Mayor Paul Buccellato and a county engineer were also on hand, assessing the extent of the damage. It was soon determined that Ravine Drive would have to remain closed between Matawan Ave. and Wykoff Street until further notice. Residents were being notified in automated phone calls from the borough, late into the afternoon.

"It's a major thoroughfare," Lambrose said. "It will definitely cut off a big chunk of the town."

The dam is scheduled to be part of a long-term $10-million reconstruction project, with costs split between Matawan Borough and Monmouth County. Discussing the project in January, County Engineer Joseph Ettore told The Independent that the 84-year-old concrete bridge over Ravine Drive at Lake Lefforts was not in urgent need of replacement but should logically be upgraded as part of the dam reconstruction. The bridge repair is to be covered by the county's $6 million share of the total cost.

"Looks like they're going to have to replace the dam," Lambrose said Sunday. "A little sooner than they thought."

Earlier in the morning, emergency responders reported making a "water rescue" at the scene, coming to the aid of an unidentified male who was not injured in the incident

http://matawan-aberdeen.patch.com/articles/dam-at-ravine-drive-in-j...

Irene: Tree Takes Out Amwell Road Power Lines

Closes portions of Amwell Road as well, though drivers are bypassing barriers.

 By James V. Franco
The Record

TROY — A massive mudslide did extensive damage to two houses and a destroyed a garage on Brunswick Road Sunday shortly after 4 p.m.

As a precaution, dozens of families on Highland and Brunswick avenues, located on top of the rain-soaked hill that collapsed, were evacuated.

“At first I thought it was an earthquake because I felt the small one a few days prior but when it started shaking as drastically as it was I knew it wasn’t that and then I heard the trees hitting the side of the house and everything started to collapse,” said John Newcomb, who was sitting in his living room at 13 Brunswick Road. “So I just started to run and busting through anything that was blocked to get the people out. Everyone in the building is safe and that’s all that matters.

As he was standing in the Stewarts parking lot barefoot he said there were 13 people living in at 13 Brunswick. He and his family will be staying at his mother’s house in Watervliet.

That house was literally twisted by the impact of the earth and will need to be demolished. Clement Garage, located two doors up from 13 Brunswick was completely destroyed. Likely, a total of three houses will need to come down.



“The neighbors were outside and I heard them yelling and screaming and I didn’t know what was going on. I thought they were fighting but then the whole house started shaking and I didn’t know what was going on and my kids started jumping on me,” said Delilah Seales, who also lived at 13 Brunswick Road. “We couldn’t get out because the whole house shifted and the neighbor came and kicked in the entire door jamb. We punched out the top panel of the door but my the door shifted and the dead bolt was stuck so we couldn’t open it.”

The slide packed enough force to push a mid-sized recreational vehicle from behind one of the homes onto Brunswick Avenue.

Fire Chief Tom Garrett said the situation is still volatile and that more of the hill could still come down. As firefighters stood on Brunswick Road trying to determine a course of action and crews were trying to shut off gas and electric, another portion of the hill gave away sending everyone scattering. Garrett said a similar incident on Spring Avenue took days to get resolved.
“It was a very steep embankment that was very heavy with water so we have to see if another portion of the hill is going to go,” said City Engineer Russ reeves.

http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2011/08/28/news/doc4e5aa0d34d311...

IRENE: Roof collapse floods two downtown New Bern NC buildings

Some time Saturday water on the roof of the Prudential Clear Water Realty building on Craven Street caused the roof to collapse, flooding that building and the city’s Dunn Building next door.

Monday city workers and Environmental Corp. were at the two buildings pumping water out of the basements.

John Staten Jr., New Bern public building maintenance supervisor, was assessing the damage in the Dunn Building on Monday morning. He said Environmental Corp. was there because the flooded basements have hydraulic fluid in the water from the elevators in both buildings.

When the roof collapsed at the Prudential building, causing a 30-foot hole, it broke a four-inch main water line supplying the water sprinklers, Staten said.

By Sunday morning, the water had reached the first floor of the Prudential building and was about 10 inches behind the door that opens on the sidewalk.

The water from the basement of Prudential went into the Dunn Building basement right beside it and was about 10 feet deep, Staten estimated.

“It’s a nightmare,” he said.

The Dunn Building houses the tax office and planning and inspections. City employees were still working in the building Monday morning.

Only cleanup workers were in the Prudential building. Inside the first floor office there are soaked carpets, debris and water damaged furniture and computes.

Jason Sanderson, owner of Prudential Clear Water Realty, said someone called him after the Hurricane Saturday evening and said water was coming out of the door of the office building and running into the street.

When Sanderson got to his office, he said he didn’t know what to do.

“It is gone,” he said. “Everything is completely totaled.”

The eight-foot basement of the building was filled with water and there was about three feet of water in Sanderson’s office at the back of the building before the water busted the wall and drained out, he said.

Sixteen agents and three secretaries work from the Prudential building. Sanderson said he is going to try to relocate his business this week to office space beside Carolina Bagels on Trent Road. He plans to be there for about 45 or 50 days, he said.

Sanderson said he hopes he can rebuild and move back to Craven Street in a few months.

http://www.newbernsj.com/news/roof-100028-collapse-building.html