Snowmania! Roads sloppy, roofs collapsed, in wake of epic Nor’easter

Well over a foot of snow and ice fell Thursday and Friday in most areas of Rockland County, leading to problems not only on the roads but on the roofs.

Temperatures were close to the freezing mark for much of the storm, making the snow heavy and difficult to move out of the way. A period of ice added to the problems as falling snow-ice mix from trees bashed into car bodies and windows as commuters traveled. The worst effects of the storm could be seen in the numerous reports of property damage from caved roofs and other surfaces.

First responders check out the situation at Shop-Rite Garnerville. An inside ceiling partially collapsed over the Bakery Dept. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.
First responders check out the situation at Shop-Rite Garnerville. An inside ceiling partially collapsed over the Bakery Dept. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.  Photo by Tom McGuire

In Garnerville, the local Shop-Rite was closed by the building inspector as a ceiling collapse over the Bakery Dept. from inside the store was investigated. An external roof collapse did not occur, as some had reported.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the incident.

On Thursday night a partial building collapse occurred at West Rock Tennis, 21 Pralle St. in Nanuet. The business was closed and the area of the building unoccupied at the time, although two maintenance workers were present in another part of the building and were unharmed. Inspectors suspect the obvious cause for the collapse: weight from snow, rain and ice.

In addition to structural damage, the collapse ruptured a gas line and caused a small fire behind the building. West Nyack and Nanuet Fire Department(s) responded to the situation.   

Then around 6:50 a.m. Friday morning a roof collapsed at 67 N. Grant Ave in Congers., at a detached garage. No injuries were reported.

At 7:30 a.m. a partial building collapse occurred at Capasso & Sons, 142 N. Rt 9W. The collapse also caused a release of gas, apparently, as neighbors reported a gas scent in the air. Fortunately again, nobody was harmed in the incident.

Collapsed carport in Suffern.  Photo submitted by John Keegan
Collapsed carport in Suffern
Photo submitted by John Keegan

Snow walloped the area Thursday morning between 1 a.m. and noon, leaving close to a foot in most locales. That was followed by a period of lighter precipitation, mostly rain, until 10 p.m., when the storm picked up again. The second round of heavy precipitation started as a wintry mix, strong enough to produce thunder and lightning, followed by four to eight inches more of a heavier, wetter snow.

On top of the 14 – 20″ that fell in the big Nor’easter, Rocklanders can expect another 2-4″ on Saturday, forecasters say.

UPDATE — A roof at the Marian Shrine campus in North Rockland also collapsed.

Read more: Marian Shrine roof collapses 

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