The roof of a BJ's warehouse store in New Jersey partially collapsed during powerful storms this week, sending water pouring into the building and flooding the store. Dramatic video of the scene was widely shared, showing the moment the roof gave way as heavy rain battered the region.
In the footage, water can be seen rushing into the store like a waterfall. The flow was powerful enough to knock over customers and wash away tables, according to the video, as shoppers scrambled to get clear of the collapsing section of roof.
Coverage of the incident described the roof coming crashing down and nearly hitting shoppers who were inside at the time. The images underscored how quickly the situation unfolded, with people caught off guard as the ceiling failed above them.
The collapse came amid a broader bout of severe weather along the East Coast. Around 8 million people, from Massachusetts down to North Carolina, were placed under a flood alert after powerful storms swept across the area.
The storms dropped up to six inches of rain in places, triggering flash flooding that closed roads and damaged buildings. An NBC News correspondent reporting from New Canaan, Connecticut, described the widespread impact of the rainfall across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
The New Jersey store collapse quickly became one of the most striking images from the storms, highlighting the danger that intense, fast-moving rainfall can pose even indoors. Forecasters continued to watch for further showers as flood alerts remained in place across parts of the East Coast.