Building collapse, sinkhole in Westchester likely due to excessive rain Tuesday

Excess rainfall in Westchester Tuesday evening potentially caused a partial building collapse in Mount Vernon and a sinkhole to develop in Port Chester Wednesday.

Mount Vernon city spokesperson Tim Allen said the National Gear and Piston building at 225 So. 4th Ave. partially collapsed early Wednesday morning just before dawn. Parts of the roof and wall caved in, causing structural damage to the building. Bricks that fell from the wall of the building also damaged nearby parked vehicles.

Allen said the root cause of the collapse has not yet been determined, but it's likely that heavy rains Tuesday evening contributed to the structural damage.

Mount Vernon officials closed South 4th Ave. to pedestrian and vehicle traffic between West 3rd and 4th streets nearby and officials remain on the scene Thursday to assess the structural integrity of the building and others around it.

In Port Chester, officials discovered a sinkhole forming on Regent Street near the intersection of Clermont Avenue after part a storm sewer drain collapsed under the road.

“We are unable to confirm if the storm of this week cause for the damage," village manager Stuart Rabin told reporters, "but it certainly helped us identify the location of the collapse due to the road’s sinking.”

Rabin said the repair of the system will include excavation, removal of debris, and the replacement of the natural stone tunnel/waterway with a concrete replacement to allow the stormwater to continue to flow.

"We have much larger storm water infrastructure planned for this area of the village that have been approved as well," Rabin said.

According to the National Weather Service, Port Chester received 2.2 inches of rainfall due to Tuesday's storm.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Weather likely cause of structural damage in parts of Westchester NY