Feb 5, 2008 11:26 am US/Mountain
Snow In Durango Raises Roof Collapse Concerns
DURANGO, Colo. (AP) ―
-
-
James Bundy sent CBS4 these pictures of the snow on the ground in Durango Monday morning, Jan. 28, 2008.
James Bundy
With nearly 6 feet of snow falling in just over a month, the mounds of snow left piled on roofs has raised concerns of collapse.
"Snow loading is a concern," said Dave Abercrombie, spokesman for the Durango Fire & Rescue Authority. "Some of the structures are on the edge (of collapse)."
A large vacant metal structure that housed a skating rink in the 1960s and a structure built over a mobile home collapsed under the weight of the snow Monday. No injuries were immediately reported.
Concerns about the amount of snow on the roofs on Fort Lewis College prompted officials to close the campus Tuesday for a second straight day, school spokesman Mitch Davis said.
"We decided it was safer to keep everyone away," he said.
The roof of the old Fine Arts Building at the school collapsed on Jan. 19, 1993, under 4 feet of snow.
Last month the city received 37.78 inches of snow. So far this month, the city has received 23.2 inches of snow, surpassing the average for February, which is 14.9 inches.
With high snowfall totals in the San Juan Mountains, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center listed the avalanche danger as "extreme" and discouraged backcountry travel.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments