Roof dangers: Officials urge people to look for warning signs

By: Samantha Lavien
Slavien@abc6.com
Twitter: SLavienABC6

Seventy one roof collapses have been reported to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency since February 9th. Forty four of those collapses have been reported over the last two days.

“The snow that’s on your roof right now is about 7 pounds because it’s light and fluffy. But, start adding water to that and it triples to 21 pounds. And, I’m talking 21 pounds or 7 pounds per cubic foot,” said Commissioner Thomas Gatzunis with the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety.

The sheer volume of snow, coupled with the number of recent collapses has officials in Rhode Island and Massachusetts urging you to be on the lookout for warning signs.

“If you’re in a house and you can’t open a door, or you see cracks in ceilings, or you hear noises you should take some action,” said Pete Gaynor the Director of Rhode Island Emergency Management.

That action could mean getting the snow off the roof yourself or calling a professional.

“If you’re capable of doing it and doing it safely, the first way to attack it is from the ground with a roof rake. If you can avoid going on the roof or getting on a ladder and doing it we don’t recommend that,” said Gaynor.

Gaynor emphasizes that flat roofs are more at risk for collapse. As we’ve seen in recent weeks collapses are more common at businesses and warehouses, as opposed to houses with pitched roofs.

“The rule of thumb is if you see two feet of snow on a flat roof that’s where you really want to be concerned,” said Gaynor.

If you think a home or business might collapse, immediately leave the building and call for help.

 (C) WLNE 2015