Local skate center roof collapses in storm

Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Landmark Skate Center's roof collapsed Friday morning at approximately 3 a.m. At first only half of the roof was gone, with the rest sagging heavily under the weight of several inches of snow, but eventually three-fourths of the roof collapsed.

By Steve Moyer

Nevada Daily Mail

The heavy snow the area experienced caused more than traffic problems, many buildings around the area were experiencing heavy loads of snow causing problems.

The Landmark Skate Center, 1401 N. Osage, was one. The roof collapsed under the weight of the deep snow.

"It happened Thursday night, around 3 a.m.," Sheryl Straight said. "It was 50 percent at first, but then more collapsed and it's about three-fourths, now."

Osage Lodge 303, 221 W. Walnut, Nevada, also had roof problems, but the outcome was not as severe for that structure as for the skating rink. Lawrence Cripps, Masonic Temple Association, was called about 5 p.m. by Jim Melton, Jim's Appliances, and told the roof was sagging.

"He called me up and said I ought to get down there," Cripps said. "I went down there and met with the city inspector. Fortunately, there is a flat roof under the new roof, so it won't collapse all the way."

Even emergency services were affected, particularly in Fort Scott. Officials in Fort Scott abandoned the Hawkins Public Safety Building at 1604 S. National Ave. on Friday morning after they discovered a portion of the facility damaged, apparently by a huge accumulation of snow.

Communication telephone numbers were not affected by the relocation and remain functional.

"There was no loss in service whatsoever," Fort Scott Public Safety Director Jeff Davis told the Fort Scott Tribune. "It created a little bit of a challenge, but everybody worked together."

Snow loads on a buildings can cause less dramatic problems as well, such as leaking, rather than complete collapse. Also, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, it isn't just the total amount of snow, but where that snow is on the roof and whether the load is spread evenly.

A technical instruction booklet put out by the Corps says metal buildings are designed with "little structural fat" and unbalanced loads caused by snow accumulating in areas in "aerodynamic shade" (places protected from the wind) can cause that area to collapse.

Another problem encountered is the formation of icicles, which are formed when snow melt from inadequately insulated roofs refreezes on the eaves. Large icicles can be dangerous to the buildings and the people who use them. The Corps discourages efforts to remove icicles with hammers, axes and other such implements because of the danger.

Although this area hasn't seen large accumulations of snow in several years, it isn't unusual for there to be several large snowfalls during a Midwest winter. The National Weather Service advises home and business owners to be prepared before bad weather arrives.

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