SHAMOKIN -- A former dress factory in Shamokin collapsed Sunday, causing power outages for about 1,200 homes and businesses.
Shamokin's mayor tells Newswatch 16 strong winds caused the collapse.
"We just came home from church, and my daughter and I stepped right out and all as you heard was bam," Janet Eveland, Shamokin, said.
Mayor Bill Millbrand says the building has been vacant since 1989. The dilapidated building is up for sheriff's sale and has been in disrepair for a few years but Shamokin doesn't have enough money to demolish the building.
"We been working with the county and the county housing authority try and secure funding, but believe me, it's not easy. We have a lot of blighted properties," Bill Millbrand said.
Jean Banford of Shamokin tells Newswatch 16 her grandfather used to own the dress factory.
"I have a hard time coming up here to see the building in the condition that it`s in. When I see this building that we take extra care of, it's sad, very sad," Banford said.
Neighbors say the building has been collapsing over the years, but today's power outage happened right in the middle of cooking for dinner.