Heavy rain appears to have caused the roof to collapse at a sporting goods store in San Ramon.
The incident was reported early Tuesday at the Big 5 on Crow Place. The collapse left piles of debris and water pouring into the store.
"The check stands are right in the front so if people had been there during business hours, this probably would've had a different outcome," San Ramon resident Julie Knadle said. "So very grateful it happened overnight."
City building inspectors said a main beam broke in the center of the store, causing the fire sprinkles to break and send even more water flooding into Big 5 and the Rite Aid store next door. A row of stores at Crow Canyon Plaza were still left in the dark late Tuesday as inspectors assess the damage.
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Nicandro Morales works nearby and noticed a leak in his own store. With more rain in the forecast, he is worried about what could happen if the property manager does not address it soon.
"My concern is that the roof might collapse over here too," Morales said. "We are a really busy shop. We have a lot of workers and hoping that wouldn't happen to us."
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The San Ramon Valley Protection District said it is confident rain was a major factor, but the city building inspectors will have the final say on exactly what happened and what comes next.
"With a flat roof rain -- the impact of that is the weight of the water," San Ramon Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Eric Sabye said. "So, drainage is very important."
No injuries were reported in the incident. The city said it does not have an estimate on when surrounding stores will be able to reopen.
