Near Disaster Averted: The Untold Story of Citicorp Center's Hidden Vulnerability
In 1977, New York City celebrated the opening of the Citicorp Center, a towering skyscraper that quickly became an iconic part of the Midtown skyline. But what the public didn't know was that this architectural marvel had a critical flaw that could have led to its collapse.
The 915-foot skyscraper, later renamed 601 Lexington, had a 1-in-16 chance of collapsing in strong winds if its stabilizing device lost power. This meant that, on average, winds strong enough to topple the building would occur in New York every 16 years. The shocking truth was discovered by the tower's engineer in July 1978, just as hurricane season was beginning.
The problem was kept secret from the public, and welders worked tirelessly under the cover of darkness to reinforce the building. A newspaper strike at the time helped to keep the news out of the headlines, and the full extent of the danger wasn't revealed until the mid-1990s.
The Citicorp Center still stands today, but the story serves as a chilling reminder of the potential risks involved in large-scale engineering projects.
Upper East Side Apartment Fire: Smoke Billows Over Manhattan
In a separate incident, a fire broke out on the roof of a seven-story apartment building on Manhattan's Upper East Side on Friday. The blaze sent plumes of thick black smoke billowing over the city skyline.
The fire, which started shortly after 10 a.m. on East 95th Street, quickly spread to the cockloft and three penthouses on the top floor. 170 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the scene, and the fire was eventually contained. Three firefighters suffered minor injuries.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. The city's Office of Emergency Management advised people to avoid the area, and sensitive residents were urged to close their windows.
The Red Cross also responded to the scene to provide assistance to residents displaced by the fire.