Roofs Falter Under Weight Of Snow

It might be a good idea to clear that roof.

A day after Dannel Malloy again urged residents and businesses to clear their roofs, two town businesses felt the consequences of not listening. A beam cracked under pressure in Quaker Hill Friday morning, and later in Jordan Village, a canopy faltered, closing a gas station.

At 9 a.m., William Terry began to hear cracking noises in his shop, Park Roway in Quaker Hill. He went to investigate and saw a beam had cracked underneath the weight of the snow on the roof.

Terry, with the help of his crew, used a forklift to lift the ceiling and then put temporary beams underneath to hold the weight. Then, it was time to get on the roof.

“That gave us some motivation,” Terry said, laughing. “We started shoveling right away.”

Terry and his crew brought a snow blower and several shovels onto the roof. It was the first time in 41 years snow was cleared off of the roof, building owner Deane Terry said.

“This was the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Deane Terry, William’s brother. “Normally, it snows and then it melts again. This was the first time it snowed and just stayed there, as more snow kept coming.”

The roof is pitched in some areas, flat in others.

Gas Station Closed

Later in the day, a canopy at Quik-Eze Waterford Mobil faltered under the weight of snow, closing the gas station.

The canopy that protects customers between the gas pumps and the main entrance cracked from the weight of the snow, assistant building official John “Jay” Murphy said.

The station was shut down and will remain closed until the canopy is fixed, Murphy said. The company will probably remove the damaged canopy, Murphy said.

The canopy above the gas pumps, which was not affected, will stay, he said.

The snow was shoveled off the roof but no timetable was given for the re-opening, although it should be soon, Murphy said.

Quik-Eze Waterford Mobil’s owners were not available for comment.

What The Government Is Doing

Malloy has continued to ask residents in Connecticut to clear their roofs, especially if the roofs are flat. First Selectman Dan Steward echoed that call.

“It is something you have to worry about,” Steward said.

Malloy also is applying for FEMA funding to help Connecticut towns pay for snow removal. Waterford has overspent its snow removal budget, Steward said.

The Department of Environmental Protection has also helped towns remove snow by loosening its snow disposal rules.

Under its revised rules the DEP will allow municipalities to dispose of some snow in a limited number of waterways, but only snow plowed from streets and contaminated only with sand and salt.

“The DEP recognizes that the amount of snow accumulating this winter is creating unique issues for cities and towns,” DEP Commissioner Amy Marrella said. “DEP has, however, adjusted its guidance on this issue to say that snow can be disposed in salt water and certain waterways when upland locations are no longer available and other options, such as snow melting, are not practical.”