CVS Evacuated as Snow-Covered Roof Collapses

A CVS in the Bronx was evacuated Wednesday after heavy snow caused the roof to collapse.

The FDNY responded to the store on Burke Avenue in Williamsbridge at about 1:45 p.m.

As the roof caved in, water sprinklers in the ceiling burst, flooding the store. 

No injuries were reported. Eighty percent of the roof is a total loss, firefighters said, and the building will have to be demolished.

The heavy, unrelenting snow has caused a number of structural issues throughout the region in recent days. 

Several schools in Sparta, N.J., were dismissed early Tuesday after officials became concerned about heavy snow on rooftops.

Roof collapses were also reported across the tri-state last Friday, including at numerous homes, a tennis center in Rockland County, a restaurant in Yonkers and an elementary school in Wallington, N.J., police say. No injuries were reported.
 
Roofing experts say other buildings face similar dangers. As the days warm slightly, snow has no place to go and turns to even heavier ice overnight as temperatures plummet back down. 

"Melting snow is going to make it worse, especially if the drains on a lot of these commercial structures are not clear," said Michael Johannes of Nations Roof. 

Johannes says concerned homeowners shouldn't try to go up on the roof themselves. 

"You need to have someone that understands it, and has their safety in mind," he said. 

--Michael George contributed to this report. 
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