City Hall, bowling alley victims of melting snow-rain combination last week
By Per Peterson
As if the weather hadn’t already given the City of Tracy enough to deal with, another issue fell into its lap Wednesday. And, yes, the weather is most likely to blame.
The Tracy Fire Department and Tracy Ambulance were called to a gas line break at City Hall at 6:43 p.m. Wednesday. The culprit was falling brick — a result of a snow-ice buildup that, after it melted and was rained on, slid down and caught the facade on the east side of the building. Basically, the incident occurred where the old and the new rooflines meet.
“Because of the rain melting the snow so fast, it made that snow come down the domed-shape roof, and it took off the corner of the wall,” City Administrator Kris Ambuehl said. “The bricks fell down and hit the natural gas meter — of all places. I think it was a combination of the snow, and then all that rain (Wednesday). That rain is letting a lot of stuff loose, which is probably good for most things, but for us it would be better if the snow would’ve stayed in place up there.”
combination of the snow, and then all that rain (Wednesday). That rain is letting a lot of stuff loose, which is probably good for most things, but for us it would be better if the snow would’ve stayed in place up there.”
The break occurred under where the flat portion of the Armory roof meets a curved part, which is newer. The snow on the curved portion hit the wall and sent many bricks tumbling to the ground.
“There’s concrete with three layers of brick; the snow slid off the dome roof, hooked that, pushed it off and pushed it on the gas meter,” said Tracy Fire Chief Dale Johnson III.
The gas meter was knocked off the wall and was damaged to the point where it had to be replaced.
“It had a hole it in,” said Mike Andree of Minnesota Energy Resources, who helped clean up Thursday morning before attending to replacing the meter. “We can’t use it.”
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.