'It sounded like a plane crash': Ian rips metal roof off house in beachside Melbourne
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As the former Hurricane Ian's gusts were lashing Musa Rukab's beachside home, he was startled to hear a loud kaboom — and sections of his metal roof started peeling off and fluttering in the darkness.
"It sounded like a plane crash on the back of our roof all night long," Rukab said Thursday morning, standing amid twisted strips of roofing scattered across his front yard.
"Just the metal banging up and down, the whole house shuddering — the entire night — until 6:30 this morning," Rukab said.
"Terrifying," added his wife, Rula.
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The couple has lived in their two-story home the past 11 years on Brookside Drive in beachside Melbourne, three housing lots away from the Indian River Lagoon.
The address is within the Indialantic ZIP code, but it lies about 1½ miles north of Indialantic town limits. While much of the town lost power, Mayor Dave Berkmansaid neither injuries nor serious structural damages were reported within the town of Indialantic.
Musa Rukab said Hurricane Irma inflicted $160,000 in damages on his house five years ago, in September 2017. The storm damaged the roof, second-story balcony and pool screen enclosure, while rainwater infiltrated the master bedroom and other interior areas.
Rukab said his metal roof was just installed last year, and it was supposed to be rated to withstand 175 mph winds.
"It started about 11:30 last night. We heard this big kaboom, and the roof tore off," Rukab said.
"And it just tore one piece after another after another until 6:30 this morning," he said.
Rukab said he texted the Melbourne general contractor who installed his metal roof after it started to fail Wednesday night — but the contractor promptly blocked his number.
He said he has contacted an attorney and filed an insurance claim.
Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1