What on Earth are you supposed to do if you are sitting at home one winter day and all of a sudden, you hear a crash. You turn towards the sound in shock and realize one of your worst nightmares has come true: the snow falling outside has piled itself on your roof too heavy. Your roof has caved in due to the snow. You’re not sure at first how to react, what to do, or where to start on tackling this problem but know that you need to act fast before possible other pieces of the roof begin caving in. If the snow is still falling, it is also now coming down into your house! The first step to something like this happening is not to panic. Though uncommon, things like this do happen. If you panic, you risk making the wrong decisions and escalating the situation further.
The next step you should take after reminding yourself not to panic is to grab any family members and pets and all of you leave immediately. As you know at this point, the entire roof is now at risk of caving in you and your family. The walls and the rest of the house are now also at risk of falling and crumbling into nothing. It is best to not stick around and wait to see this happen. Though tempting, don’t attempt to go back in the house and grab things that you think you need. Anything beyond your family and pets is entirely replaceable and not worth risking life and limb to save. On top of the roof caving in, it is also possible that a fire can break out due to damaged wires and gas lines. As long as the family is safe, for now it is best to just shine on the entire mess that is now your house and what was once your roof, completely.
You should also call the authorities when you are outside and safe from the damage. They will be able to come and inspect the damages. They’ll be able to tell you if and when it is safe to return and they will be able to examine the severity of the collapse. This includes inspection of any gas or electrical lines that may have been damaged. They will probably also recommend a house or motel to stay in in the meantime.
All of these reasons and more are why extra care should be given to our roof during the winter months. It should be inspected daily for any damage and most importantly, it should be cleared of any snow as regularly as humanely possible. As soon as the snow starts falling from the sky, it doesn’t really matter what type of roof it is that you have. All roofs are at risk of collapse if the pressure on top of them becomes too much for them to handle. Keep a close eye on ice as well and take care to not let it build up to the point where the sides of your roof and edges are covered in icicles. This can lead to the same problem: your roof on your living room floor buried under the snow.