A pair of building collapses in the Bronx were the result of last week’s intense windstorm.
Last Wednesday night, February 24, brought a wild windstorm that brought down portions of two different buildings across the borough – one a vacant building located at East 183rd Street and Beaumont Avenue and the other one located at 190 Fordham Street on City Island, more than likely resulting from wind gusts that reached up to 50 miles per hour that evening.
Although neither of the buildings experienced a total collapse, what was left of the vacant building in Belmont had to be knocked down and was demolished last Thursday night.
The building on City Island experienced a facade collapse, when sheathing on one side of the building, which was nailed over brickwork, fell to the ground.
Barbara Dolensek, administrator of the City Island Nautical Museum, which occupies the first floor of the older front half of the building at 190 Fordham Street, said that the collapse of the facade did not affect the museum, but that the neglect of the brickwork on both halves of the building has resulted in leaks and damage inside the museum.
She also mentioned that another piece of concrete on the building, which was also nailed over brickwork, will soon collapse as well as a result of the storm’s aftermath.
No individuals were reported injured during either of the building collapses.
Following the vacant building collapse on East 183rd Street and Beaumont Avenue, two families from a neighboring building were asked to evacuate and were temporarily displaced.
Red Cross teams responded to the incident to provide emergency assistance, and did so by providing emergency funds for basic necessities to both families.
