High winds and recent heavy rains are being blamed for the partial roof collapse of a building housing a swimming school, the Goldfish Swim School, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The roof membrane was blown off during a thunderstorm, according to CBS Chicago, resulting in damage to HVAC units, which caused the roof to collapse.
The blown debris also caused downed power and gas lines nearby the building. There was only person inside the building at the time of the incident, and they were uninjured. That building and an adjacent three-story building were immediately evacuated.
Fearing a gas leak, Chicago firefighters also cordoned off the immediate area. The swim school tweeted that it had canceled classes for the immediate future.
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
