LONGMONT, Colo. — High winds tore the roof off a local climbing gym in Longmont, forcing the immediate evacuation of the building and leaving its owners facing repair costs that could exceed $100,000 — much of it not covered by insurance.

The roof of the Longmont Climbing Collective started peeling off early Friday morning, according to owner Bryan Hylenski. An employee alerted him that he was hearing strange noises coming from the roof.

Concerned that debris could be blown into nearby roads, Hylenski said he and others remained on site throughout the day and night, trying to contain and anchor down roof sections as they came loose and monitoring the structure as conditions worsened.

Wind gusts in the area reached between 60 and 80 miles per hour on Friday night. Once the winds subsided Saturday morning, contractors used a crane to remove what was remaining of the roof. Much of the material was damaged beyond repair and is being hauled away for recycling.

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