Wall collapse outside Angleton apartment rattles residents
ANGLETON, Texas (KTRK) -- Some residents of a Brazoria County apartment complex were jolted awake early Thursday morning when part of an exterior wall gave way, sending bricks flying onto vehicles parked below.
It happened at the Albion Apartments in Angleton around 3 a.m.
"What it sounded like was, 'Doom! Doom! Doom! It was right there at my wall," resident Shaina Kingman said. "I was like, 'Somebody's trying to break in,' so I said 'Alright guys, let's go hide in the bathroom.'"
Kingman and her two small children left their safe space when they heard police officers outside, but she didn't discover what exactly happened until the daylight hours.
"The downstairs neighbor, a very nice pregnant woman, was upset," Kingman said. "She was in tears. My car had some debris on it. Their car? Their windshield was caved in."
The car, belonging to Doretta West, sustained major damage along with other vehicles.
"We were told, 'Don't remove any bricks, don't remove the cars," West said. "I went to talk to the assistant manager. She was crying. I told her it wasn't her fault."
Nobody was injured and the total amount in damages wasn't immediately clear, but a city inspector and insurance adjusters were on-site Friday working to determine what happens next.
Apartment complex manager Tiffany Edwards told Eyewitness News that residents in one unit would be relocated and plans were already in the works to repair the structure, which she said is not in danger of collapse.
"We had a hell of a day [Thursday] and going home, seeing the news about Florida," Edwards said. "I was like, 'Praise God that that did not happen here.'"
A total of 159 people remain unaccounted for, with four people confirmed dead, after a southern Florida building collapsed.
More than a day after the wing of Champlain Tower South suddenly collapsed in the middle of the night, rescue crews continued to dig through piles of rubble and twisted metal more than 30 feet high Friday morning with the unlikely hope of finding at least one survivor.
In Angleton, the apartment collapse appeared to be the result of water intrusion, Edwards said. The building was built in 1972.
Angleton city officials said in a statement Friday that they have no record of any past complaints or issues at the complex.
"City staff is working with Albion Apartment's property management to make sure the area is safe," said a city of Angleton spokesperson. "City staff instructed property management to secure the site by installing a barrier such as construction fencing around the site to restrict access and to prevent personal injury. Additionally, City staff instructed property management to get a structural integrity letter from a registered engineer before making repairs."
City officials said one resident complained about exposed wires after the wall collapse, but were told the issue is being addressed.
