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More collapses in Spokane . . .

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Past Blessings	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 09:25:50 AM Yesterday, our house suddenly grew "cracks" above our slider, our bay window and the length of a beam at the top of our cathedral ceiling. I called a friend who is a builder and home inspector and he assured me it is "settling" caused by the snow, but that our roof isn't going to collapse! I am so paranoid after all the collapses in Spokane. I guess I will do a lot of patching in the spring! My kids are home from school today because the roof at Freeman high is starting to collapse . . . add this to over 200 businesses that have had collapses in spokane, not to mention the countless awnings and carports. My inlaws awning collapsed on their trailer home last week, collapsing their shed as it went. It left them trapped in the home, as it blocked the door. I am amazed that so far there has only been one minor injury when the Rosauer's Grocery Store collapsed. I am the most sad about Mel's nursery . . . one of my favorite places to shop! Today is a major "melt down" which may now cause flooding, but hopefully it will put an end to the roof collapses. I am sooooo ready for spring! Hugs & blessings, Brenda Past Blessings . . . Celebrating Life as it used to be . . . when people loved God, loved their families and loved their country.
17 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Sheep Mom 2	Posted - Jan 08 2009 : 2:21:31 PM I am so relieved to have the snow off of my house. It is starting to slide off the chicken house/shed and a little on the barn as well and a little on the shop. I have to say that when it's all off I will breathe a sigh of relief. A little sun break a few minutes ago but a good stiff wind right now. Ice is the story here - lots of polish ice with water on top - makes for dicey walking. I hope the dry weather prediction holds. I am glad to hear that your house is out of danger. I am already contemplating what changes I will make next summer to help make more room to push the snow out of the fenced area around my house. I am looking forward to spring for certain. Sheri
Past Blessings	Posted - Jan 08 2009 : 2:10:42 PM I am so thankful for today . . . nice and slushy! I normally grumble about the slush, but since it is making the snow on the roofs disappear, it is a welcome change! Our cracks haven't grown since two nights ago and so I think we are safe. I am so sorry for those who have had such losses. Most of the businesses are flat roofed. They do make them that way because they are cheaper to build. However, I have heard the insurance on such buildings may now go up, so my guess is that fewer flat roofed buildings will be being built. There is one industrial building off of ceder near Francis (for those of you "locals") that looks like it exploded. Apparently when it collapsed the pressure was so much it actually shot the walls for over a blocks distance! I am just amazed that there has not been any fatalities and so for that we need to all be truly grateful! Next September, while the selection is high, we will be buying the best snow blower we can find! Hugs & blessings, Brenda Past Blessings . . . Celebrating Life as it used to be . . . when people loved God, loved their families and loved their country.
homesteaderbelle	Posted - Jan 08 2009 : 12:21:01 AM I am glad to hear that your roof isn't going to collapses. I am sorry for onese with roofs that did collapses. Belle http://www.homesteaderbelle.blogspot.com/
katmom	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 10:23:21 PM Hey Brenda, sending you hugz, hugz & more hugz..... Lucy & Ethel have some serious junktiquing to do!!!! >^..^< >^..^< Happiness is being a katmom. "I've never met a sewing machine I didn't like!" mjf#72 Sisters on the Fly#472 www.katmom4.blogspot.com
graciegreeneyes	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 7:12:37 PM Sheri - yes another day of melting and then 10 days of dry sounds great!! It was just the sheer volume of snow in such a short time - 78.5 inches in 2 1/2 weeks, plus there was some warming which resulted in heavier snow load, then more snow on top. Prime avalanche conditions too. Now major flooding on the west side of the state. I really feel for those in Western Washington. Last year's floods were devastating, now another round. Amy Grace Farmgirl #224 "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
lisamarie508	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 6:55:38 PM Amie, no one here has a flat roof. Well, except for the sheriff's office but, they use prisoners to shovel it off. Most folks have steep metal roofs just so the snow WILL slide off. But, sometimes, we get a lot of snow all at once and the temps then plummet to the teens or colder and the snow won't slide like in Sheri's case. Folks here sometimes have to go out and shovel the roof to prevent collapse. My own house isn't so bad. I could always reach the edge of the roof from the porch, knock the snow off, tamp it down then stand on it to reach higher. With each shovel-full, I get higher and higher until I can crawl up on the roof if I need to. But usually, clearing out the bottom part allows for the rest to slide. You just have to make sure you get out of the way in time! Farmgirl Sister #35 "If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970) my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/ [size=1]My apron website: http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com [size=1]
Sheep Mom 2	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 4:04:45 PM I don't know about anyone else but this has been exceedingly weird snow. I have been here for almost 30 years and have never had the snow on my roof not slide. I have a very steep metal roof and usually the snow swoops off of it like crazy after just a few inches. Not this year. I think the nearly two weeks of sub-zero temps helped. The rain hasn't helped either and now it's raining again ( at least it did last night). Today my roof finally started to slip on the house but not on the shop or barn yet. I know we had a lot of snow at once which is unusual, but I grew up in Lake Tahoe so am used to large snowfalls all at once and built the house accordingly. It has been a really strange group of storms. I am looking forward to the predicted ten days of dry weather. Sheri
Amie C.	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 1:24:11 PM Thanks for clearing it up, Brenda. Four feet of snow is a lot, but still I certainly wouldn't expect it to cause large buildings like stores and schools to collapse. Building codes must have a lot to do with it. One of those weird things I never think about...the buildings all look so much the same from the outside. Or maybe the flat roofs. When you all talk about shoveling your roofs, I hope you mean flat ones. I'd be scared to step out onto our steeply pitched 2 and 1/2 story roof.
shepherdgirl	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 11:59:30 AM WHY did you feel so blue Julia? I kind of felt the same way this past year over the Holidays. I was looking forward to Christmas in the Fall, but when the month of October slipped passed and December seemed to ZOOOOOM in, something came over me. I wanted to just crawl in my bed, pull the covers over my head, and not wake up until JANUARY!!! Glad to know that feeling has lifted. I'm doing much better now too! Hugs ~~Tracy Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin
julia hayes	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 11:48:33 AM Brenda, the same thing was starting to happen to a neighbor of mine. Her husband got on top of their roof pronto and started shoveling. He's leaving for an overseas deployment for the next 6 months so he wanted to get that taken care of. We're watching out for her too! Soooooo scary! It is so sloppy out there now! Heavens! Let's hope enough snow melts that the threats decrease and fast! Keep us posted! I have to say that I love the snow..this rained on snow makes everything look a wee bit sad though. I'm starting to think Spring, which is so HUGE from last year. I didn't think about planting or farming at all...other than I wouldn't be doing anything. It was so so so hard and sad for me. But this year is completely different. I have a new sparkle and I'm feeling so confident and positive. Some friends are moving and they won't be keeping a garden so they gave me all of their seeds! I wanted to cry! I'm thrilled and this is just another thing that gives me so much hope!! Here's hoping the snow melts and we get some much needed relief! Cheers, ~julia being simple to simply be Farmgirl #30 www.julia42.etsy.com
shepherdgirl	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 11:23:06 AM I haven't heard about the roof collapses in Wa, except on this site-- Our Weather patterns on the West coast seem to be taking some drastic changes recently, and my guess is that's got something to do with it. The buildings must not be coded for such heavy snow falls-- are you guys in Wa getting more snow than usual Brenda? We are supposedly in a drought here in CA, though I've heard that OUR snow packs in the mountains are already almost at record levels for this time of year. It's been MUCH colder, MUCH SOONER this year, though we've had less rain than usual. I have a sneaking suspicion though, that come March, we are going to be IN FOR IT!!! That's usually the worst weather month for us here in the Valley in Northern Ca. Thunder and lightning storms, pouring rains that cause SEVERE flash flooding, howling winds that tear apart houses and RIP out trees!! Last year was pretty bad. Almond farmers were nearly RUINED by the number of trees they lost. Roofs were blown off houses and outbuildings, trees smashed into homes and businesses, cars crushed by them. The flooding in some places was quick and severe. It was so sad reading the stories about people caught in those flash floods-- many of them not found until AFTER the flood waters receded. And the mud slides from the areas burned in the hotter months! This year was even WORSE than last year for fires all throughout the state. Usually the fires are concentrated down in Southern Ca, only a few minor fires in our area, but not this past year! For an entire MONTH we only had 2 or three days that were smoke free. The rest of that month was like being trapped in an eternal smokey smelling fog that never let the sun shine through. I dread the thought of what's going to happen in those areas when that weather finally DOES come. And I feel it in my heart that it IS going to come..... Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin
Mountain Girl	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 11:22:54 AM I think for an average year Spokane gets about 46 inches of snow. Usually it will snow then melt, then snow again. This year it storm after storm has come through with temperatures that don't allow melting. I don't think we have gotten as much snow as Spokane did and we're 70 miles north of Spokane. I woke this morning to no new snowfall and above freezing temperatures. My son and his girlfriend were going to go back to the west side today. This are a go here but three of the mountain passes are closed! JoAnn
Firemama	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 11:20:33 AM Most of the buildings going down are Flat Roofs, make me wonder since they know there is alwasy a possiblity of snow, why flat roofs are popular down here?? I think come spring, alot of us Pacific Northwest Girls are gonna looks purty good and have a little muscle Lisa!! LOL Mama to 2 FarmGirl# 20 People can only make you feel inferior with your permission, and you dont have my permission...... Dont let the chain of love end with you..... http://myfarmdreams.blogspot.com/
lisamarie508	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 11:20:05 AM Thanks for the news article, Amanda. That explains it all. Farmgirl Sister #35 "If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970) my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/ [size=1]My apron website: http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com [size=1]
lisamarie508	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 11:12:18 AM Wow! That is an incredible number of buildings going in. Are they all flat-roofed or shingled? Do you not normally have this much snow? Or is it the rain on top of the snow adding more weight than the roofs can support? Sounds like it's getting pretty scary up there, Brenda. I would have been worried about my own roof, too. Speaking of which, looks like I'll be shoveling it off tonite as we are getting rain right now on top of all the snow. The house I'm staying in has a shingled roof. I can't understand why anybody would build a roof like that up here. But, oh well, I'll handle it. I'll tell you, I'm getting one heck of a work-out this year. Just wait for spring - I'm going to be slim and trim! Farmgirl Sister #35 "If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970) my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/ [size=1]My apron website: http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com [size=1]
Firemama	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 11:06:53 AM Amie we have gotten WAYY more than 2 feet, we have already beat in this past 3weeks alone, our "record" winter of last year. We have shoveled more that 4 feet off of our roof. The roofs here are supposed to be able to withstand I think 30 pounds per square foot, someone correct me if thats wrong. In this article has a bit of info: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008593621_apwawinterstorm4thldwritethru.html We have had 77.6 inches this 3 or 4 week of winter so far. Alot of people couldnt shovel their roofs or just didnt. I know that at my husbands building the roof is sagging inside the shop , as of yesterday they were told to evacuate, we still arent sure if its standing. So I am not sure where you are reading that we only got 2 feet cause I promise you we have WAY more than 2 feet.. Not to mention the amount of rain we are getting right now, which is causing flooding concerns. I understand that we shouldnt be surprised, as Mother Nature is unpredictable, but I think some people just werent prepared. I am sure glad that so far we have been prepared enough to not have problems. Here is a picture from our first storm there is a 4 foot fence back there and you can see the top of the fence, you cant see it at all now. http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee181/fireballqueen/100_2627.jpg This is one of the sheds in the back, now keep in mind this was the FIRST storm, we had about 3 more feet on top of whats on that shed before we shoveled them off, http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee181/fireballqueen/100_2629.jpg Sorry to hear about the roof Brenda, hopefully though it will be okay. Mama to 2 FarmGirl# 20 People can only make you feel inferior with your permission, and you dont have my permission...... Dont let the chain of love end with you..... http://myfarmdreams.blogspot.com/
Amie C.	Posted - Jan 07 2009 : 10:12:43 AM Brenda, why are all these roofs collapsing? I've been looking at the news stories online, and it looks as though you guys have gotten approximately 2 feet of snow in a couple of big storms. I saw also that your typical winter snowfall is about 80 inches per winter. My city typically gets about 100 inches of snowfall, and 2 feet of snow at once is a pretty big pile for us too (we maybe get that much 3-4 times per winter). But I've almost never heard of roofs collapsing before. Is there something I'm not getting from the news stories? Are their numbers terribly off? Sorry to sound dumb, I don't know much about the Pacific Northwest...it's horrible that this is happening, and it seems so totally abnormal and preventable to me.

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