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Date: 5/27/2020
HOLYOKE – U-Haul is stepping up to help those in the community impacted by the recent collapse of an apartment building roof.
The collapse, according to Mayor Alex Morse, took place on the night of May 15 and caused “serious damage to multiple apartment buildings at the corner of West and East Dwight Streets.”
Morse said in an update on Facebook that the collapse was “the result of a “possible microburst,” but at the time of press no one had confirmed if the strong winds were officially categorized as a microburst or not. There were no serious injuries and families were given hotel rooms to stay in.
U-Haul, to help those who will not be able to stay in their homes, is also offering those impacted free storage for their possessions.
Marty Wells, who serves as the general manager for the U-Haul facility in Holyoke, said this is not the first time the company has stepped up to help out those in need. “We’ve done this in the past with fires in Holyoke, we just did it recently with all the college students,” he explained.
He said while none of the tenants have been able to retrieve their belongings from the damaged buildings at the moment, some have already called to take advantage of the company’s offer.
“So far nobody has [used it] because they can’t get their stuff yet. That’s usually what happens in situations like this. It could take a week, two weeks for them to make the building safe,” Wells said.
While the company is advertising 30-days of free storage, Wells said there is no time limit on the company’s generosity. “There’s no time limit, same with college students, some UMass students still have stuff here,” he said.
There is also no limit on how much space the company is willing to donate to the residents, should they need it. “It depends on what they have. The biggest space available is a 10 x10, but if they need more I could combine it with another 10x10,” Wells said.
While residents are welcome to call ahead and discuss storage over the phone, Wells said they are also free to come to the facility.
“They can just show up, some have already called and thanked us and everything, they’re just waiting to get their stuff,” he said.
Ultimately, Wells said the company is there to help those in need. “We want people to get here safely with their stuff and we’ll take care of them,” he said.
Those who were impacted by the roof collapse and in need of storage can visit U-Haul at 250 Appleton St. or call 539-9261, a number that Wells said is answered 24 hours a day.