Wow! What Did That Look Like Before It Fell?
That’s a statement that we usually think when we see a collapse. Through the wonders of technology we can now often find an answer.
In this case, we were able to view the porch roof a year or so prior to the collapse via Google Streetview. The Streetview showed a pre-existing sag prior to the collapse. This type of information is often helpful in determining the cause and/or confirming the history we have surmised from the physical evidence.
Figure 1 Porch roof about a year before it collapsed as found on Google Streetview.
We have also found Google Earth and Bing Maps helpful in documenting the conditions prior to the reported appearance of the damage.
Thank you, Google and Microsoft!