Sometimes having a roof over your head isn’t enough.
The fierce storm that blew through the D.C. area Wednesday night tore off a significant part of the roof of an affordable housing building at 12th and K streets SE. The building, part of the Hopkins Apartments development situated blocks from the Potomac Avenue Metro stop, is four stories tall and owned by the D.C. Housing Authority. Witnesses told FOX5 that the 10 p.m. collapse happened quickly—kids were playing outside when debris started falling. Some 50 residents were displaced.
There were no injuries, according to D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
DCHA spokesman Rick White tweeted that residents would be temporarily housed overnight while repairs were made.
Update 3 p.m.: In a statement, DCHA says repairs to the Hopkins Apartments continue and that 11 families have temporarily relocated to a nearby hotel. “An apparent freak microburst of wind entered the attic space of Hopkins through soffits in the overhangs of the roof, pushing insulation and roofing membrane out,” says DCHA. “Most importantly, no one was injured by the weather event.” DCHA adds that the families should return home soon, but that one unit “has more extensive damage in the kitchen which will require more work” before its inhabitants can come back.