Pregnant woman injured in roof collapse

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (WSVN) -- A pregnant woman is recovering in the hospital after part of her home's ceiling came crashing down, due to Monday's heavy rains.

As Tropical Storm Isaac beat upon South Florida, the ceiling of a duplex along Arthur Street and 20th Avenue collapsed, injuring a pregnant mother of two. "We did find her, in fact, on the ground where a portion of the ceiling drywall seemed to have collapsed," Hollywood Fire Rescue Chief Joel Medina said.

Hollywood Fire Rescue transported the victim to Memorial Regional Hospital as a precaution. Medina said, "She is 12 weeks pregnant, so we were very concerned for her."

Jonelle Jean-Paul lives on the other side of the duplex. A part of the roof also collapsed in her neighboring unit.

According to Jean-Paul, leaks have been a problem in the duplex since April. "We're now in hurricane season, and this storm that just came, it was with the grace of God that it didn't hit big. This could have been a real tragedy, a really big tragedy," said Jean-Paul.

Since the roof collapse, the duplex has been deemed unsafe, and both families have been displaced.

Jean-Paul, a mother of four, is unsure where she and her children will go. "My plans right now? I don't even know. I'm going to see if I can call a couple of friends to see if I can stay with them because it's just me and my children," she said, "but I have to do what I have to do right now."

The victim's condition remains unknown.

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