CAMILLUS -- 3:15 update:
The weight of recent snowfalls has claimed yet another building.
The roof of the meeting hall at Saint Luke's Ukrainian Church in Camillus caved in Monday afternoon. Damage to the building is extensive.
Church Vice President Peter Tymchenko told CNY Central that he arrived at the church at about 1:00 p.m. in advance of work crews who would have cleared the snow from the roof. He says he was inside the building when he saw chunks of insulation falling from the ceiling. Tymchenko says he then heard creaking and a loud crash. He says the force of the collapse blew open the doors to the building.
Tymchenko says it's fortunate the collapse did not happen over the weekend when the hall would have been full of parishioners.
He says on Saturday they noticed a piece of paneling had separated from the wall which was the first indication that the snow on the roof was affecting the structure, but once they repaired the area they thought the hall was safe.
Original Coverage:
A local church was damaged Monday when part of a building collapsed on parish property.
Onondaga County 911 reports that the parish hall of St. Luke’s Ukrainian Church on Warners Road in Camillus sustained damage early Monday afternoon when the roof collapsed. Approximately half of the roof of the 30 x 120 foot building came down just before 1:00 p.m.
There are no reports of injuries at this time. The parish hall is used for community events and is not connected to the main church building.
