August 29, 2011 NC shopping mall collapsed during Hurricane Irene www.privateofficer.com
GOLDSBORO, N.C. Aug 29 2011
Part of the roof at the Berkeley Mall in Goldsboro collapsed Saturday. No one was injured.
Ed Cianfarra, chief building inspector for the city, said straight line winds are likely to blame. He said the wall is about 50 yards across. About 10 feet of the brick and concrete wall extends above the roof line. About four or five feet of that broke, which combined with the weight of water sitting on the roof, caused the collapse.
Paul Angerer, security supervisor at the mall, said he was just feet from the entrance to Belk, which is where some of the worst damage is visible, at the time of the collapse.
“I was sitting here on the bench at the stage filling out my log sheet. I heard some noises, got up and headed toward Belk where the noise was coming from,” he said.
As Angerer approached, he saw the collapse.
“Like slow motion it just kept folding back,” he said.
Few other people were around, aside from some store and restaurant employees. Mall management decided Friday to close the mall Saturday due to the approaching wind and rain from Hurricane Irene.
Puddles of water were found throughout parts of the mall Saturday.
Source:NBC News
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