BOSTON (AP) – No building is safe from the incredible stress of the 8 feet of snow that has piled up on roofs across New England, and things are expected to get worse before they get better, experts said Wednesday.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency has received 74 reports of roof collapses, partial collapses or major structural issues since Feb. 9, and that doesn’t account for those that have not been reported, spokesman Chris Besse said.
In New Hampshire, more than 500 residents were displaced after two partial collapses at an eight-building apartment complex in Portsmouth, and schools in Epping and Newton were closed Tuesday after cracks appeared in the walls.
“I expect we’ll hear of a lot more once the weather starts to warm up,” said Garrick Goldenberg, a professor of structural engineering at Wentworth Institute of Technology.
No deaths or major injuries have been reported.