(La Porte, IN) - Concerns about roof collapses from the recent heavy snowfall have been heightened by the weight of freezing rain in the forecast.

An empty warehouse at 1450 Lake St. in La Porte had much of its roof, covered by 20 inches or more of lake effect snow, collapse recently.

“The collapse was likely from the weight of the snow,” noted La Porte Fire Chief Andy Snyder, who explained how the owner of the building discovered the collapse early in the afternoon on Sunday.

Fortunately, nobody was inside at the time.

“It is unknown to what day and time it actually happened, since no one was around when it occurred,” he said.

Snyder said the building, once rented by Superior Ambulance, has been vacant in more recent times.