GREENSBURG, Pa. -- The roof of a 100-year-old building housing 20 classic cars and three boats collapsed under the weight of heavy snow on Thursday in Greensburg.

The collapse happened shortly before 8 p.m. along Wilson Avenue.

A neighbor told Channel 11 News reporter Alan Jennings that he was walking his dog when he heard a funny snapping sound right before the collapse, which hurled bricks and mortar into the street.

The roof collapse took down power lines, shutting off electricity to two apartments and one home.

Ron Herrod, Jr. stores two cars in the warehouse, a vintage 1968 Firebird convertible and his wife's 2000 Firebird. Herrod heard the collapse call for the Wilson Avenue warehouse on his police scanner.

"They said building collapse and I thought 'Oh no better get down there.' I didn't think it was going to be as bad as what it was but hopefully the cars I have in there are okay," Herrod said.

On Thursday night, Herrod returned to get his cars out.

"I'm so happy to have at least one out. I got one more to bring out and I'm gonna help my friends get theirs out to, so, it's been a long day, and there's no damage to anything, and I couldn't be happier," said Herrod.

The first floor of the warehouse is storage for a local TV and stereo shop. Thousands of dollars in merchandise appear to be destroyed.

The building's leasing agent said he knows what brought down the roof.

"When I was here yesterday morning you could see the corner of the building crumbling. You could see the roof shifting, so it was definitely the weight of the snow," said Rob Doerzbacher.

Two outside walls of the warehouse are dangerously leaning into public walkways. Greensburg officials are working with the owner to safely take down the crumbling walls.

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