Bricks came loose from a Manhattan building and plunged down onto an awning below and then onto the ground as powerful storms swept through the region Tuesday afternoon, leaving the street littered with debris and chunks of brick.
Fire crews, police and Buildings Department workers were on scene at the building on West 96th Street near Amsterdam Avenue after getting reports of the unstable facade at about 12:30 p.m., authorities say.
"We just heard a loud noise. When we came out, everybody was calling me," said building superintendent Wilfredo Lopez. "I thought something hit the building. We looked up and a whole section of the building just came down."
Lopez noted how lucky it was that no one was hit.
Officials said the bricks came loose from the rooftop parapet because of the cold and snow over the long weekend, and then the high winds Tuesday blew them right off.
High wind gusts above 40 mph were reported in New York City Tuesday as a powerful line of thunderstorms and rain blew through the region.
The winds also wreaked havoc on 7th Avenue and 39th Street, where a glass table blew off a 22nd floor balcony, hitting two women on the street.
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"There was a woman crying in the street. She had a lot of blood on her face, and there was a lot of glass on the street," said witness Rekha Bhusal.
A 37-year-old woman sustained an injured lip and a 26-year-old had neck and back pain from being hit. They were both taken to the hospital.
The building owner was issued a violation for failure to secure the building amid high winds, officials said.
