Thirty-three apartments damaged by storm water in Huntington Beach remained uninhabitable Monday, and will remain so for a significant amount of time, a fire battalion chief said.
The 33 apartments at the Casa del Sol Apartments at 21661 Brookhurst Street have been yellow-tagged by city officials as renovation continued today, Huntington Beach Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeff Lopez said.
It was not known how long it would take to get the apartments back up to code because asbestos testing likely will be required, Lopez said. Residents were only being allowed back in to get belongings, Lopez added.
Firefighters began fielding calls about the drywall damage of two buildings in the complex of 10 just before 8 a.m. Sunday, Lopez said. Firefighters were called back just before 5:20 p.m. when drywall collapsed in many residences in Buildings 4 and 5, the battalion chief added.
About half of Building Four and nine apartments in Building Five were affected, Lopez said. In all, there are about 400 to 500 apartments in the complex, Lopez said.
The weatherproofing of the roof was apparently “not adequate,” which led to the water damage, Lopez said. It’s possible the “tarping failed” during the roof work, too, he added.
Residents were allowed to stay in the unaffected apartments in both buildings, Lopez said.
— City News Service