Snow and Ice Continue to Rip Holes in Roof of Silverdome

Ice and snow ripped new holes in the roof of the Pontiac Silverdome Tuesday as officials of the suburban Detroit stadium continued assessing damage from the incident.

Seven of the 100 fiberglass-and-Teflon roof panels burst Monday under the weight of at least six inches of ice and snow that fell the previous night.

But at least 15 more panels had given way by Tuesday afternoon, and repairs were delayed by high winds that prevented workmen from reaching the roof, said James Clarkson, chairman of the board of the managing Pontiac Stadium Building Authority.

The collapse damaged at least 500 of the stadium’s 80,000-plus seats, and a 20-foot-long chunk of concrete was sheared from the facing of the third deck and crashed to the floor, stadium maintenance supervisor John Kissick said.

The concrete, ice and snow also damaged the wooden floor used by the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Assn., Kissick said.

A damage estimate remained unavailable Tuesday, but insurance is expected to cover all but $100,000 of the repair bill.