Residents Can Return To Haverhill Apartments After Lightning Strikes Smokestack
HAVERHILL (CBS) — Residents of an apartment complex in Haverhill were just given the "all clear" to return to their homes after a lightning strike damaged a smokestack near their homes.
Displaced residents of Hamel Mills Lofts were shaken up this past Sunday after lightning struck the landmark smokestack, creating a deep crack in the structure and safety concerns.
Haverhill Fire Department evacuated 100-150 residents as a precaution because they were unsure if the smokestack was structurally sound. Engineers were then called in to bring down the chimney brick by brick.
On Tuesday, Mayor Jim Fiorentini posted an update from the safety team on Facebook.
"Fire chief, building inspector and structural engineer--just gave all clear for displaced Hamel Mills Lofts residents to return to their homes," Fiorentini wrote in a post. "Earlier tonight, workers reduced the chimney to a safe level, allowing the residents to safely return."
The smokestack once belonged to Louis Hamel, the founder of Hamel Leather Co., a leather company in the city.
Tippy Missick, the granddaughter of Hamel, told WBZ on Sunday it was upsetting to see the structure damaged and torn down after surviving for many years.