METRODOME COLLAPSE!

MINNEAPOLIS -The inflatable roof of the Metrodome sports stadium collapsed Sunday after a snowstorm that dumped 17 inches on Minneapolis. No one was hurt, but the roof failure forced the National Football League to shift the Minnesota Vikings-New York Giants game to Monday night at Detroit's Ford Field.

Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission chairman Roy Terwilliger said he's optimistic the roof can be repaired in time for the Vikings to host the Chicago Bears in their next scheduled home game on Monday, Dec. 20. There's a lot of work to be done before then, considering the scene inside the darkened stadium on Sunday morning after the collapse about 5 a.m.


Snow fell onto the artificial turf through a gaping hole above the 30-yard-line, as a piece of the Teflon-coated fiberglass roof roughly 10 yards long flapped in the wind. It glowed eerily in the sunlight, hovering not too far above the field. Speakers that hang from the roof were still safely above the seats and the field, with no indication that a collapse with people inside would've caused any injuries.

The Metrodome roof is 10 acres of Teflon-coated fiberglass that is supported by 20 90-horsepower fans. It weighs roughly 580,000 pounds.