A barn roof collapse in the area northeast of Listowel has resulted in one person being taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries.
Emergency services arrived at Road 146, located between Perth Lines 88 and 89 in North Perth, before 7 a. m. on Tuesday.
According to OPP, one individual was injured during the incident and needed to be airlifted for medical care. The details regarding their injuries remain undisclosed.
A photo shared by West Region OPP on social media showed part of the barn’s roof caved in, along with an exterior wall lying on the ground.
Authorities have yet to provide any information about what caused the collapse. Recently, several buildings have partially collapsed due to heavy snow accumulation. For instance, last week, a section of the roof at the former Interforest site west of Durham fell in. On Sunday night, part of Home Hardware’s roof in Brussels also gave way, and an abandoned structure in Elora collapsed under snow pressure on Monday. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported in those incidents.
The midwestern Ontario region received around 50 to 60 centimeters of snow over the last two weeks, adding to existing snow from January. According to provincial government data, a cubic foot of snow can weigh anywhere from seven pounds for new and dry snow up to 30 pounds for older compacted snow. Rain falling onto accumulated snow will increase its weight even more. This is particularly concerning this week as Environment Canada predicts possible showers on Tuesday, Wednesday night, and Thursday. Daytime temperatures are expected to rise above freezing until Friday, which will add extra weight as piles of snow begin melting.
Signs that a roof could be close to collapsing include cracks appearing along interior walls, doors opening unexpectedly or getting stuck, and loud creaking sounds.
To reduce the risk of collapse occurring, building owners should regularly check and clear drains, gutters, and downspouts while also removing any accumulated snow or ice from their roofs frequently.
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