Vacant Storage Building In South Holland Collapses Under Heavy Snow
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A vacant building in South Holland partially collapsed on Wednesday, apparently under the weight of heavy snow.
South Holland Deputy Fire Chief Bryant Krizik said part of a vacant storage building near 166th and State collapsed sometime on Wednesday, although it wasn't clear exactly when it happened.
No injuries were reported. While the cause of the collapse was under investigation, it is believed to have been caused by the snow.
A handful of buildings across the Chicago area have collapsed in the past couple weeks after heavy snowfalls, the vast majority of them vacant and nearly 100 years old or older.
Chicago Department of Buildings Commissioner Matthew Beaudet said earlier this week that old abandoned buildings are more vulnerable to collapsing under the weight of heavy snow, because they're not heated, and don't slowly melt snow on the roof like occupied buildings do.
Beaudet said Chicago area buildings are designed to withstand the weight of heavy snow, so as long as an occupied building is structurally sound, it should be able to hold the weight of rapidly accumulating snow.