MIAMI (WSVN) - Cleanup efforts continued in a Miami neighborhood, days after the collapse of an abandoned building left the family living next door without a place to call home when debris pierced through their roof.
Pile by pile, what was left of the crumbled building was scooped up and carried away on Friday.
The abandoned structure was no match for heavy rain and wind that caused problems Wednesday night.
Surveillance cameras captured the moment it came crumbling down. Some pieces came through the roof of Nicole Ojeda’s family home.
“Yeah, I was sleeping, and then a loud noise, and when we go open the backroom, one of the bedrooms, the ceiling was caved in, and my younger brother was in there,” she said.
Her brother was OK, but their home now has a huge hole in the roof.
A sign now reads “unsafe structure” on the front. Volunteers with the American Red Cross were seen with the family on Friday to assess the damage and try to determine what’s next.
Also nearby, longtime Miami-Dade County resident William Morgan told 7News what he saw. He was worried about a homeless man who may have been inside the building.
“Just to check around and kind of look around,” he said.
Police K-9s who can detect human scent on Thursday were out sniffing as a precaution.
“This type of collapse is what you call a pancake collapse, which comes down right on top of each other, so it makes it very difficult for us to search without having to use heavy equipment to remove layers,” said Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatious Carroll.
Morgan brought his dog, Cobra, to sniff around as well.
Neither Morgan nor police found anyone underneath.
The building, now a pile of debris, was set to be demolished before the storm.
It is now a reminder of that nasty weather that hit the community.
As for the Ojeda family, they’re just thankful they have left what matters most.
“I’m glad everyone’s safe, we got everyone out safely. We’ll deal with the property and items later,” said Ojeda.
No injuries were reported.
Cleanup crews have since wrapped up for the evening.
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