Four weeks of snowstorms have put a strain on the Seacoast
Words and photos by Charlie Weinmann
Nearly four weeks of back-to-back snowstorms have put a strain on the Seacoast, with towns and cities working to quickly clear the snow from one storm before the next storm hits. Since a blizzard dumped some 30 inches of snow on the region at the end of January, three more major storms have each brought even more snow — the latest dump on Feb. 14 left Portsmouth with another 15 inches of snow and Seabrook with a whopping 20 inches.
Plow crews “are tired. They’re very tired. It’s been a long brutal winter for them,” said Durham town administrator Todd Selig.
According to Selig, the town’s yearly budget of $218,000 for snow removal was half gone just before the Feb. 14 storm. “We’re probably approaching about 60 percent expended, at this point. It’s been tough,” he said.
The snow has also put a strain on buildings around the Seacoast. Following the latest storm last weekend, a number of roof collapses were reported throughout the region.
In Seabrook, the roof of a strip of buildings in a shopping plaza at 920 Lafyette Road collapsed on the morning of Sunday, Feb. 15. The collapse closed a number of businesses, including the Chop Shop Pub. On Monday and Tuesday, a group of the Chop Shop’s customers and volunteers moved the pub to a new temporary location at the former Honey Pot Lounge, located in the same plaza.
The roof of a building collapsed on Lafayette Road in Seabrook on Sunday.
A roof collapse at a Portsmouth apartment building followed on Sunday afternoon, which in turn was followed by a roof collapse at the Georgia Pacific facility in Newington on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, schools in Epping were closed on Monday, Feb. 16 and 17 because of roof collapse concerns, and Moharimet Elementary School in Madbury was evacuated on Tuesday after school employees spotted cracks in the building’s walls.
On the afternoon of Feb. 15, Portsmouth firefighters were called to the Patriots Park apartment complex for a report of a partially collapsed roof in one of the buildings. Residents of approximately 17 of the complex’s apartment units were evacuated, according to Portsmouth fire chief Steven Achilles.
Later that night, another collapse was reported at a second Patriots Park building. “We employed the same approach … finding local hotels if (residents) couldn’t go with friends or family,” Achilles said. “That precipitated the evaluation of the other six buildings in the complex.” About 700 residents were evacuated.
Since then, city building inspectors have been out examining buildings for signs of structural damage.
“The management company has been extremely cooperative,” Portsmouth city manager John Bohenko said on Tuesday. “Our director of building inspections has been out today inspecting other areas … shoveling roofs and making sure the structure is sound.”
Adding to snow-related issues is the problem of frozen pipes and clogged exhaust vents.
“We are anticipating some exhaust vents that are backed up, causing carbon monoxide issues,” Achilles said. “We strongly recommend that businesses and residents take precaution. Shovel out your walkways and doorways so the fire department can get in, and so residents can get out.”
Snow removal crews are keeping busy in Portsmouth.
As far as rooftops go, Achilles said some simple measures can be taken to prevent a collapse. Using a roof rake to remove the first layers of snow will take weight off and prevent ice build up.
“We encourage people to be careful,” said Achilles. “If you’re not used to working on a roof, you should hire a contractor or a removal service.”
Meanwhile, in Newington, assistant fire chief Jeffrey LeDuc said the department responded to a roof collapse at the Georgia Pacific gypsum plant at 170 Shattuck Way on Feb. 16. According to LeDuc, the department was called after an employee had noticed a “structural compromise” in the roof.
“They did the right thing and pulled the fire alarm to get everyone out of the building as soon as possible,” LeDuc said.
On Tuesday, Feb. 17, firefighters reconvened to devise a plan for the failing structure after receiving a report of an “explosion” at the same address just before 7 a.m. The report was confirmed as a roof collapse.
“We are coming up with a plan to remove the snow. … It’s difficult to find someone to get the snow off roofs. … Everyone is all booked up.” — Jeffrey LeDuc of the Newington Fire Department
The fire department worked Monday to shut off gas and other utilities in the building. On Tuesday, an engineer inspected the rest of the plant. Security was on site throughout the night.
LeDuc said sprinkler breaks are among the many problems that are being dealt with as inspectors continue to evaluate town buildings. “We are coming up with a plan to remove the snow. … It’s difficult to find someone to get the snow off roofs. … Everyone is all booked up,” LeDuc said.
LeDuc encourages citizens to evaluate the snow load on their own properties, making sure to look for cracking or bowing in roofs and walls. If you see evidence of a potential roof collapse, evacuate and call the fire department.