Plow operators are not the only ones keeping busy with the massive amount of snow that Mother Nature has dumped on Sault Ste. Marie.
Joe Della-Savia, owner of Inside Out Contracting, said his crew has been working steady since the nasty weather arrived in late November.
Della-Savia said the last time he saw this much snow so early on was in 1995, when the city had over 67 inches of snowfall over five days.
“That was the year Station Mall collapsed," he said.
Although officials with the City of Sault Ste. Marie are reluctant to declare this an emergency, Della-Savia said it definitely is one.
“Right now the city is crippled. We really need to work together and people have to be lenient on where we put the snow.
"We only offer emergency services - for excessive buildup. We do roofs, reshape driveways and cut down snowbanks. We have the equipment and the knowledge," he said, adding that they've been in business for 18 years.
This year, neighbours have yelled at his crew if they put snow on their lawn or over their fence.
Della-Savia said he hasn’t heard of any residential roofs that have collapsed, but he’s seen collapsed gazebos, lean-tos, metal storage buildings and more.
“Every day I see one that’s collapsed,” he said.
“I’m hoping not to see any homes. Buildings that are flat with low slopes are really vulnerable. Modern day-constructed buildings . . . they’re safer but it’s not a guarantee.”
Demand has been overwhelming, he said. They’ve had 40 jobs since this started three weeks ago.
“People ask me if they have three to five feet of snow on their roof, should they be concerned? They’ve answered their own question. They are concerned . . . and they definitely should be.”
Della-Savia said people should check their insurance policies to see if they are covered if their roof collapses.
“They think they’re covered but most are not covered,” he said.
Ron Frolich, the receptionist at RM Frolich Roof Systems, confirmed they’ve also been swamped.
“We’ve been averaging 20 to 30 phone calls per day,” he said.
Inside Out Contracting has a Facebook page or can be reached at 705-971-3471.
RM Frolich Roof Systems can be reached at (705) 256-2320 and is also on Facebook.