Tropical Storm Ophelia rips roof off of condo in Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, Md. – Residents in Ocean City are feeling the full effects of Tropical Storm Ophelia, as it continues to push water further and further on the beach and even rip the roof off of the Sand Penny condo building.

“I woke up to a really loud noise, then it sounded like a waterfall coming into my apartment, like a big swoosh,” Brian Santiago, a resident of the Sand Penny, said.

“I went outside to see what the racket was, and our roof was all over the street, so I brought in all the big roof pieces and put them in the garage, so they wouldn’t blow around,” Santiago added.

Santiago lives on the top floor of the building, so his unit was one of the first to sustain damage. He had to act fast to prevent an electrical shortage.

“I wasn’t sure what else was going to happen to the building, and I had to turn all the power off,” Santiago said. “Luckily, I didn’t see any sparks or anything, but the humming and things was kind of happening in some areas.”

Sean Fahey, president of Peninsula Roofing, says detection is crucial for prevention, during this time of year.

“Hurricane season is always busy; we have an emergency response, but I would much rather see people before the storm comes in,” Fahey said. “We have a maintenance and inspection program to inspect the roofs, so that this sort of thing can be avoided.”

And there’s a few steps you can take to ensure your roof won’t fall victim to a catastrophe like this.

“You want to make sure that you have the appropriate metal; you want to make sure that your roof is clear of debris; you want to make sure that everything has been installed correctly, so that when you have a wind event, your roof can withstand the storm,” Fahey said.