"Strong winds caused a 12-foot section of Johnson Hall’s roof to be blown off on Wednesday.

"University Police responded to the call around 3 p.m. after Johnson Hall Director Gina Juriga called to report that pieces of copper were being blown off the roof, Asst. Chief John Rossi said.

""Due to that, we quartered off the area where the flashing would land if it were to blow off," he said.

"According to Director of Maintenance and Operations Mary DePentu, the ridge cap on the roof was blown off by the 45 mph gusts. She was unable to send staff up on the roof to check because of the danger associated with the task. Residents who were parked in front of Johnson Hall were asked to move their cars elsewhere.

""With a wind like that, once a piece of metal like that releases, it’s unpredictable which way it may travel," DePentu said.

"The portion that blew off did not damage the interior of the building.

"Another copper section remains on the roof, but DePentu is unsure if it will be removed or re-secured. Facilities Operations staff will make that determination when they look at the roof.

"This is not the first time roofs have been threatened by strong winds. Sheldon and Johnson halls experienced a similar problem a few years ago, DePentu said.

"Johnson and Riggs halls are at an advantage over other residence halls when it comes to roof upkeep. They have peaked roofs instead of flat roofs like other buildings on campus, DePentu said.

""It’s better for us as far as maintenance is concerned," DePentu said.

"Approximately five years ago, Onondaga Hall experienced a similar situation when their flattop roof separated from the building due to strong winds, Rossi said.

"Over the summer, Facilities Operations performs preventive maintenance and checks the roofs on campus buildings for problems. Every six months roofs are re-examined to determine if they have any problems, DePentu said.