Several residents evacuated a tornado-damaged apartment complex Monday morning in Jefferson City after some ceilings collapses following overnight rain.
At least four apartments on the top floor of 126 Marshall St. were affected, property owner Jason Corrado and Jefferson City Building Official Larry Burkhardt said. The rain may affect more apartments depending on how much the water seeps through, Burkhardt added.
Until Corrado fixes the building, Burkhardt said, the tenants in the damaged apartments must live somewhere else.
Corrado, with JCREM LLC, said Monday he was working with the displaced tenants to find temporary housing until he can make the necessary repairs.
Due to unknowns surrounding city inspections and contractors' availability, Corrado said, he was unsure when the repairs would be complete.
The building's roof, among other items, sustained damage during the May 22 tornado. Corrado said he had used heavy-duty plastic to temporarily fix the roof as he waited to make permanent roof repairs, but the sun broke down the plastic.
"The amount of sun we had and then the wind storm yesterday and last night took the rest of it off, and it allowed rainwater to get in and we had a downpour and allowed four of the units to get wet," he said.
Corrado is using different tarps and will move quickly to permanently repair the roof, he said. Once contractors repair the roof, he added, they will fix the ceilings and insulation and allow the city to conduct inspections before moving tenants back in.
"We work hard to talk to the tenants and keep everything in good shape and fix it as quickly as we can," Corrado said. "These are definitely lower- to mid-income places, and these people can't afford to go out and spend a week in a hotel. They rely on us for housing, and (we) do our best to get it done as quickly as we can."
It will cost $40,000-$50,000 to repair the tornado damage and most recent damage, Corrado said.