Greenhouses collapsed under the weight, and I think a grocery store as well.
Yes building practices, and even building codes, are different because of local conditions. Some areas are prone to earthquakes, others very strong winds, and even others heavy loads due to snowfall. Even with that there will be problems, but nowhere near as bad if similar conditions hit a different area that wasn't prepared. I remember one winter in the 90's where a particularly bad snowstorm hit Toronto and even there many homes suffered collapsed roofs because the load was just too much.
The worst collapsed roof I saw however was the first summer I moved to Toronto. I took over a sublet for 4 months while I searched for a better place, but I overlooked a shopping center with a K-Mart anchor store. One day we had a huge rain shower and a large part of the roof in the K-Mart collapsed under the weight. I assume it couldn't drain fast enough, and perhaps the storm drains were partially blocked. I can't find a description on the Internet, but then this happened long ago in the dark ages. I don't remember if people were hurt or not, it might have happened overnight. I had a front row seat however as my apartment was on the 7th floor and right across the street. I could look through a large hole in the roof and see right into the store and the merchandise below.