Huntington Station church roof partially collapses

A section of roof on the education building of St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Huntington Station collapsed Wednesday, days after a crack was found in a wooden truss of the 56-year-old building.

A summer nursery school program, which had been scheduled to use the building, was canceled earlier this week after a parishioner who is an engineer noticed the roof's condition, was concerned and alerted church leaders, church and town spokesmen said.

The problem with the roof of the building was first detected Saturday, said John Litke, a parishioner and the church's bookkeeper.

"When we saw the problem, we immediately closed the building," he said.

Huntington Town officials then shut off water and power to the building and attached a sign to it warning people to stay out.

Church officials had not determined the best way to reinforce the damaged truss before the section of the roof collapsed inward, onto offices and classroom space Wednesday.

"There didn't appear to be any warning," Litke said. "It is like getting struck by lightning."

No one was injured in the collapse, church and town officials said. Wednesday, condemnation notices, dated June 27, were still on the doors of the building, which had visible damage to the roof.

"The town will work with the church so they can make the repairs necessary to make the building safe to be used again," Huntington Town spokesman A.J. Carter said in an e-mail last night.