At EAP we have been extremely busy this week dealing with multiple emergency response callouts following the aftermath of storm Eunice. Storm Eunice caused the strongest winds ever recorded in history in the UK this week. The storm caused country spread destruction causing damage to some of the UK largest landmarks such as the O2, as well as, many homes and cars becoming victim of the storm Eunice.
One of the worse affected homes we attend was located in Maldon Road, Colchester. The storm had caused the chimney to collapse on to the roof. The Fire and Rescue Service were called, and the road was shut off for over 4 hours
We received the call early Saturday afternoon. Immediate action was required from our structural engineers to assess the damage and advise on how to make the property safe. Our Chief Structural Engineer, Robert Taylor, rushed to the site as soon as the call came in to assess the damage and made the call to Essex Fire and Rescue to attend site and assist. Once he arrived on site his first port of call was to ensure that everyone in the building was evacuated and safe. Once the Essex Fire and Rescue were on site the road was closed off and an Arial platform was used to inspect the damage and attempt was made to remove the debris and the remaining chimney. Roberts inspection determined that the roof purlins and rafters had been badly fractured by the impact and the weight of the chimney was causing more damage as it continued to bear onto the roof
Robert continued to work with the Fire Service to determine the most effective way to support the damaged structure. USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) were called shortly after to help install temporary support. Following this on Tuesday morning timber struts were installed to allow the fire service to remove their props.
EAP Structural services are now working with the owners to prepare the Specification for the remedial work required.
We would like to say a massive thank you to Essex Fire and Rescue who have been working through the aftermath of the storm and a special thanks to the teams that attended. Their efficient assistance was paramount in resolving this matter.
We hope that this is the last of the storms that we see for a while, however, when structural damage strikes whether that be due to strong winds, impact, fire or flood. EAP Property Services Emergency support team are always on hand 24/7. Give us a call on 07960 898702 anytime and we will do all we can to assist.
