The incident occurred at an apartment complex at Carrickmines Manor on the Glenamuck Road at around 8.30am.
The roof of the building came 'clean off' the building according to witnesses.
The structure flew into an empty building site behind the apartment block and struck a container.
Residents of the evacuated blocks at Carrickmines Manor are being temporarily housed in a local hotel until an assessment of the damage and any further risk is carried out.
More than 20 people live in the block where the roof came off.
A spokesperson for the management company behind the development in Carrickmines said the residents of the two blocks which were not damaged are not being let back into their homes as a precaution, because further high winds are expected overnight.
The managing director of the company responsible for the development said that he hopes the affected properties will be safe and habitable in the next couple of days.
Managing Director of Wyse Property Management Ben Gough said the apartments were completed three years ago and Mr Gough said there had been no issue of concern with them prior to today.
