How Can a 12-Story Building Collapse Without a Warning?

Photo by LOGAN WEAVER on Unsplash

Almost 100 people are unaccounted for after a 12-story Champlain Towers partially collapsed in Surfside, a town just north of Miami Beach. At least three people died, and more than 100 were pulled out to safety. The search and rescue mission is still ongoing as of Thursday evening, according to Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

The condominium complex had 130 units, of which half have been wiped in a devastating accident. Residents were probably asleep at the time of the tragedy, as the building came crashing down at around 1:00 am on early Thursday morning.

Many have never even heard of Surfside before this horrific incident took place. To pinpoint these events on the map, the town of Surfside extends from Miami Beach on the South at 87th Street and going all the way up to Bal Harbor on 96th Street. You can see Bay Drive on the West and the Atlantic Ocean is on the East.

The condominium complex building was only 40 years old

Chaplain Towers were built in the 1980s, just north of Miami Beach city limits. The condominium complex 

Miami-Dade County laws require all buildings to maintain electrical and structural safety. Licensed Florida Engineer or Architect for Structural and Electrical Safety has to rectify each building after 40 years and then every 10 years thereafter. Buildings need to reinforce facades to withstand seawater damage. Corrosion is prevalent in Miami-Dade County, and the consequences can be devastating.

Local authorities say it’s too soon to know what caused the building to crumble. Miami-Dade Police Department Director Alfredo Ramirez III is coordinating detectives alongside state and federal officials. Investigations should begin as soon as rescue operations are complete, and all residers have been accounted for.

The question lingers. How can an upmarket property collapse like a poorly stacked house of cards? Some residents were older than the building itself. 

Was the construction faulty to begin with? Was the concrete watered down? Did the construction company fail to disclose misconduct and left these people in grave danger? Was it the rising sea level, and unpredictable weather events that boosted corrosion in the area? Climate change? The roof repairs?

We have too many questions on our minds right now. Locals residents are worried for their safety, and many are left asking if their lives are in danger

“Nothing like this has ever happened,” said Kenneth Direktor, a lead attorney for the condo association. “This is not from surface cracks…. There are of course questions about the construction.”

Champlain Towers underwent concrete restoration and routine repairs over the years. The engineering company is now working together with town officials to determine the cause of this tragedy. Boots are on the ground all over Miami and Surfside to help ease the situation and excavate unaccounted residents.

The towers were Class one, fire-resistant, and steel-reinforced concrete buildings. It’s one of the strongest construction around. Such buildings don’t come crashing down with no apparent cause. Neighbors have compared the incident to 9/11, while others thought it was an earthquake.

The CCTV video of the crash is available here. But the sight is beyond horrific. The velocity of the crash is frightening, and the aftermath photos look unreal. Many are still in shock that something like this still happens with all the safety measures and available technology.

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is urging anyone who has any information about the incident to call 305–614–18–19. She further supported opening an emergency fund which is now live at SupportSurfSide. https://supportsurfside.org/.

Our thoughts and prayers are with victims and brave responders who are working tirelessly to get Surfside residents to safety.

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