Gust tears roof from building

Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette

Sheets of galvanized steel ripped by gusty winds off the roof of Kildare Lumber, on the southeast corner of East First and B in McCook, Nebraska, skid north up the street and enshroud a truck on B Street and parked vehicles in the 200 block of East First about 3:06 p.m., Monday. A gust of wind hit the driver's side of Ryan Jablonski's westbound truck as he passed the alley east of Kildare's, he said, at the same time he saw Kildare's roofing curl over its green awning, and the street light pole coming down. "I was more worried about the light pole hitting my cab," Jablonski said. The pole missed, but sheets of wind-blown roofing caught between Jablonski's cab and trailer, and Jablonski stopped in the intersection. More roofing curled over the Wagner Chevrolet dealership, knocking down rows and rows of bricks on the north side of the building; Source Gas and Nebraska Public Power crews shut off gas and electrical service to portions of the block as City of McCook and Doak Construction crews worked to remove lengths of crumbled steel. from the truck, parked cars and Wagner's and Kildare's buildings. Terry Rouse, Kildare manager, said 6,000 square feet of roofing was ripped off. Roofing crews from Weathercraft and Martin started repairs to Kildare's roof immediately; evening forecasts are for rain. No one was hurt, and the intersection was reopened to through traffic at 5:45 p.m.