Heavy rains and bitterly cold temperatures earlier this week are to blame for damage to a business north of Lenoir.
Part of a wall collapsed at a gun store shortly after it opened Saturday morning while people were inside.
"It was pretty loud," said Tim Hartley, customer. "I'm still shaking."
Hartley will never forget What happened inside the Smilin Equipment Guns, Ammo, and Fishing store in Caldwell County.
He said he was reading a magazine and was with owner Regigie Wallin when the two men heard a popping sound and then saw cracks in the wall.
"I said we better get out of here," Owner Reggie Wallin said. "It looked like the wall is a coming in."
"We got a few things out and by the time we got a few things out the whole wall came in," Hartley said.
Because it is a gun shop, firefighters didn't want to just leave the gap open.
They shored it up to allow the owner to go back inside and retrieve some of the firearms.
They are dealing with some pretty messy conditions because it has been raining much of the day.
Earlier, Wallin and Hartley worked on a broken 1-inch waterline behind the business that possibly froze earlier this week.
That work stopped because of the heavy rain and lightning and minutes later, the wall gave way.
They are thankful no one was hurt.
Part of a wall collapsed at a gun store shortly after it opened Saturday morning while people were inside.
"It was pretty loud," said Tim Hartley, customer. "I'm still shaking."
Hartley will never forget What happened inside the Smilin Equipment Guns, Ammo, and Fishing store in Caldwell County.
He said he was reading a magazine and was with owner Regigie Wallin when the two men heard a popping sound and then saw cracks in the wall.
"I said we better get out of here," Owner Reggie Wallin said. "It looked like the wall is a coming in."
"We got a few things out and by the time we got a few things out the whole wall came in," Hartley said.
Because it is a gun shop, firefighters didn't want to just leave the gap open.
They shored it up to allow the owner to go back inside and retrieve some of the firearms.
They are dealing with some pretty messy conditions because it has been raining much of the day.
Earlier, Wallin and Hartley worked on a broken 1-inch waterline behind the business that possibly froze earlier this week.
That work stopped because of the heavy rain and lightning and minutes later, the wall gave way.
They are thankful no one was hurt.
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