It's not often the South finds itself blanketed in snow. So it wasn't all that surprising when the roof collapsed at the Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama -- especially since the building was already in the process of being demolished.
Still, it was a sight to see.
7.5 inches of heavy snow was all it took.
The domed roof of the Mobile Civic Center -- a building the city is in the process of demolishing -- collapsed Wednesday morning.
This was a day after a record snowfall for the city of Mobile.
Just after 11 a.m., one witness posted on Facebook that he ‘heard it and felt the ground shake.'
Mobile city spokesman Jason Johnson said there were no injuries.
Nature did the demolition work, free of charge.
Before:
After:
More from the city spokesman:
Based on an initial evaluation of the site, the arena's roof did collapse in on itself due to the snow load. It fell in a manner that was consistent with the plans for demolition.
The 10,000-seat arena, complete with a theater and an expo hall, was home to the city's Mardi Gras celebration, hosted a minor league hockey and basketball team, and featured acts like Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, and Fleetwood Mac.
Demolition on the arena began in July, and the city is hopeful that the snow collapse created less work for the demo crew, not more.
Mosaic murals dating back to the 1960s were inside the arena, but the city reports that they were not damaged, and will be preserved. Preserving the mosaics is (somehow) set to cost the city $1.3 million.
The arena will soon be replaced by a $300 million facility.
Better make that one snow-proof!
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇
