L.A. storm: Walkway falls on car; roof collapses

For many Southern California communities, Friday’s rainstorm showed no mercy. Long Beach was especially hard hit as structures collapsed due to heavy rain.

Four families are without a home and several businesses closed after a second-story balcony used as a walkway on a mixed-use building collapsed, crushing a vehicle parked below.

The walkway on the building in the 3100 block of Los Coyotes Diagonal fell to the ground about 7:30 a.m. when it became overwhelmed with rain, said Long Beach Fire Department spokesman Jake Heflin. The building houses four apartments and three to four businesses.

No one was hurt. But “for four families, it’s a difficult situation,” Heflin said.

Three of the families found other shelter, but one family of four adults, a 14-year-old and two dogs required the assistance of the Red Cross’ Disaster Action Team, he said.

The building was red-tagged because it was unstable.

Not long after the first collapse, firefighters were called to a second business where the weather had collapsed the roof, he said

“When the crews initially got here, there was probably about 2 feet of water they could see inside the business,” Heflin said. “When they opened the door, it rushed out.”

The collapse occurred before 9:30 a.m. at Mr. Shoe Wash, 661 Newport Ave., Heflin said. A 30-by-20-foot section of the roof had caved in due to the weight of rainwater, among other reasons, Heflin said.

“I think there were multiple causes, but obviously the weather played a significant role,” he said.

Heflin said the building was red-tagged, and the owner couldn’t go inside until it was stabilized.

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