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Roof collapses continue; storm to dust Boston, dump up to 5 inches in W. Mass.

Print | Comments () Posted by John Ellement February 7, 2011 06:04 PM

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This National Weather Service map shows predicted average accumulations. Some areas could get less; some could get more.

By Jenna Duncan, Globe Correspondent, and John R. Ellement and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Problems with roofs overloaded by heavy layers of snow continued today around the region, as public safety officials raced to sagging or collapsed structures in Boston, Bellingham, Littleton, Dedham, and Norwood.

Meanwhile, the latest storm was expected to arrive tonight, sprinkling a dusting of snow and rain along the coast, but as much as 5 inches of snow in Central and Western Massachusetts before ending Tuesday

A roof collapse was reported at 1:45 p.m. at the Unity Tabernacle of Holiness Church, a storefront church at 2 Greendale Road in Boston's Mattapan section, the Boston Fire Department said. Firefighters found the roof had partially collapsed. No one was in the building at the time; no one was injured, and a building inspector was summoned to examine the scene, the department said in an official tweet.

In Bellingham, the corrugated metal roof of the Popular Precast Products building at 26 North Main St. collapsed this morning from the heavy snow, and one wall caved in; the entire building will have to be demolished, Building Inspector Stuart LeClaire said.

The owner had been inside just before the collapse, but heard the walls cracking and made it out in time, LeClaire said.

In Littleton, the fire department rescued an elderly woman who was trapped inside her mobile home when an awning collapsed.

Fire Chief Steve Carter said crews used rescue equipment to jack up the awning and pull the woman out of her home at 239 Ayer Road about 8 a.m. today.

The town building inspector checked other homes in the area but everything appeared in good shape because residents had cleared off roofs over the weekend.

"We used some rescue tools to get her out, including special jacks," said Carter. "We stabilized the structure and cleaned off the roof."

At the Dedham Mall this morning, a number of stores were evacuated due to concerns about the roof, including the Sears Automotive, Toys 'R Us, DSW, and T.J. Maxx stores.

In Norwood, a roof collapsed at an office building at 1400 Boston Providence Highway (Route 1) earlier today, officials said. A veteran fire captain was briefly trapped when the roof collapsed on him, but refused medical treatment and returned to work, fire officials said.

Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said 149 roof collapses, partial collapses, or structural failures had been reported since Wednesday, including more than a dozen today. No serious injuries have been reported yet, he said.

The storm has also taken a toll on public finances. Transportation Secretary Jeffrey Mullan said today that his department has run $22 million over its snow and ice removal budget for the year, State House News Service reported. Governor Deval Patrick has asked for supplemental funding of $25 million, but Mullan said, "We'll need more" to get through the winter.

The snow is expected to begin tonight, then change to rain along the coast, where Boston and other areas are expected to get less than an inch. Snowfall amounts increase the farther north and west you go -- up to 5 inches -- and decrease to the south and east -- where the Cape and islands are expected to get no accumulation at all

The storm will taper off Tuesday morning. On Tuesday, daytime highs will be in the moderate range for February, in the mid-30s for the Boston area, the weather service said.

Schools in a handful of communities will also be closed today, where officials are moving to repair damage or prevent damage by hauling tons of snow off school buildings.

Once the small storm leaves Tuesday, the next weather pattern will not be so friendly.

The weather service said the system will bring strong winds – in some areas, gusts will reach 40 miles an hour -- and brutally cold temperatures both during daytime and overnight. In parts of Massachusetts, temperatures will be pushed into the single digits.

Globe correspondent Katherine Landergan of the Globe staff contributed to this report.