Roof warning after East Providence collapse

By Dana Griffin

dgriffin@abc6.com

@DanaGriffinABC6

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI- Rebecca Ballou of East Providence came back into town this morning. Her partially collapsed garage- tapped off because it was a safety hazard.

The garage located on Worcester Street buckled underneath the weight of the snow around 9 o’clock Friday night. Her next-door neighbor saw it go down.

“They heard it first and then called and told me there’s a problem,” said Ballou.

A three–foot snow drift had been sitting there for weeks weighing nearly 40 pounds per square foot.

Rebecca has shoveled her home’s flat roof several times this winter; never thinking the garage’s slanted roof needed the same.

Ballou said, “If you get it safely of your roof, get it off,”

With more snow expected Sunday, the East Providence building inspector says homeowners should clear the snow now to avoid this.

“Well, if you have an excessive two-feet on your roof you probably have something to worry about with another 6 inches,” said building inspector, Albert Quattrucci.

The garage was demolished this afternoon.

Rebecca has insurance so she will be able to rebuild. She’s just happy no one was hurt because her neighbor was inside the garage 30- minutes before it gave way.

©2015 ABC6/WLNE-TV. All Rights Reserved.