Thursday, June 2, 2016

Officials: Roof blown off DuPage apartment building during severe weather



Residents of an apartment building in unincorporated DuPage County near Willowbrook were evacuated this afternoon after a roof collapsed and portions were blown off during severe weather conditions Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

The DuPage County sheriff's office received a call about 2:40 p.m. that the roof was blown off the building in the 16w500 block of Honeysuckle Rose Lane. There were no reports of injuries.


Giovanna Johnson has lived in the building since January, and has three children.

"I was in my kitchen. I heard a whole lot of noise. The roof caved in on the apartment over mine," she said. "I can't even get in my apartment to get my items. They said my whole apartment is getting flooded right now."


The apartment building at 16w580 Honeysuckle Rose Lane in an unincorporated area near Willowbrook. (Annemarie Mannion / Pioneer Press)
The Tri-State Fire District workers searched all units of the building in the Hinsdale Lake Terrace Apartment complex, but found no trapped occupants. However, the DuPage County Building Department determined the building in uninhabitable, causing the evacuation of all 32 units and more than 100 residents.

May 31 to assist the residents. Benedictine provided lunch, shelter and shower facilities, while the Red Cross provided breakfast, dinner and other supportive services. More than 20 individuals from a dozen families were served.

Tri-State fire officials said the roof was damaged and partially torn off, but could not say if it was a microburst that caused the damage.

"All indicators are it was the wind," said Fire Chief Pat Brenn, explaining only the National Weather Service can make the determination of a microburst.

The apartment building at 16w580 Honeysuckle Rose Lane in an unincorporated area near Willowbrook, just west of Route 83 and south of 91st Street. (Annemarie Mannion / Pioneer Press)
Bianca Bell lives in a building across from the damaged one.

"It just kind of peeled off the roof. It happened so fast," she said.


No comments:

Post a Comment