A second roof collapse has struck the Jersey Shore in less than 48 hours
WALL TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A second roof collapse in just days has been reported along the Jersey Shore after part of the Economy Inn in Wall Township gave way Wednesday morning, days after a severe storm caused a partial roof collapse inside a BJ’s Wholesale Club in neighboring Ocean Township.
Wall Township police, the South Wall Fire Department, EMS and the township’s Building Department responded at approximately 7:27 a.m. July 8 to the Economy Inn, 2035 State Highway 35, after reports that part of the building’s exterior facade had fallen and additional sections appeared unstable.
When emergency crews arrived, they found an active partial roof collapse that police said resulted from damage sustained during the severe weather over the past week.
While first responders were evaluating the building, a second section of the roof collapsed.
New Jersey Natural Gas and Jersey Central Power & Light secured utility service to the property, while emergency crews established a safety perimeter around the motel.
Authorities said the building was vacant, and no injuries were reported.
The collapse comes just two days after a dramatic roof failure at the BJ’s Wholesale Club on Route 35 in Ocean Township.
On July 6, approximately 20% of the BJ’s roof collapsed over the bakery section as torrential rain pounded Monmouth County. Water and debris crashed into shopping aisles while 27 people were inside the store.
Despite the frightening scene, no injuries were reported. Authorities said two people were briefly trapped by debris but were able to free themselves before rescuers reached them.
Emergency crews, including the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, used an interior drone and New Jersey Urban Search and Rescue K-9 teams to search the building to ensure no one remained trapped.
The storms that swept across central New Jersey brought intense rainfall, with some areas receiving more than 3.5 inches of rain in a 24-hour period and rainfall rates reaching up to 2 inches per hour.
Ocean Township Mayor John Napolitani said the township had not received formal building code violations involving the BJ’s but noted the building had a history of roof leaks.
The BJ’s remains closed while engineers determine whether the building can be repaired or must be demolished.
Officials have not indicated whether the two collapses are connected beyond both occurring after the recent severe weather.
Key Points
- A second roof collapse in less than 48 hours occurred Wednesday at the Economy Inn in Wall Township.
- The collapse follows Monday’s partial roof failure at a BJ’s Wholesale Club in Ocean Township.
- No injuries were reported in either incident, though both buildings sustained significant damage.
