The Surfside Champlain Towers South building that was partially destroyed in part due to its 40-year recertification process. This requires thorough structural and electrical inspections.
Charles Burkett, the Mayor of Surfside, said Friday that he was unsure if the inspection was completed. However, he may have vital clues about the disaster.
Burkett stated, “It should’ve been very simple.” Buildings in America don’t just collapse like this. There’s a reason. We must find the reason.
At least 4 people were killed in the collapse of the 12-story tower. 159 others are still missing. There are many questions about why this happened and what other buildings may be at risk.
Surfside Town Clerk Sandra McCready stated in an email that details of the Champlain Towers’ recertification inspection would be made public after they were completed. Frank Morabito (the engineer responsible for the building’s recertification), did not return phone calls or emails Friday asking for comment.
At a press conference on Friday, Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade Mayor, stated that there is no evidence of a sinkhole. This phenomenon is much more common in Florida than elsewhere.
She said, “I can assure you that they haven’t found any evidence foul play at this time.”
The ocean water is the main focus of attention, as it is increasing in South Florida and other places due to climate change. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis passed a law that required developers to conduct sea-level rise studies prior to starting publicly funded projects.
The governor, like everyone else, wants to know the exact cause of the collapse as quickly as possible.
DeSantis stated at a news conference that “we need a definitive explanation for how this may have happened.” It is an unusual type of tragedy for half of a building to collapse in the middle of the evening.
According to an environmental professor at Florida International University, Champlain Towers is slowly sinking.
Professor Shimon Wdowinski cautioned that the collapse should not be blamed on the caving ground. To study the sinking land in Norfolk, Virginia and Miami Beach, satellite data were used.
Wdowinski stated that his study had found many examples of sinking earth leading to cracks inside buildings, which he described as “pretty common” here in Florida.
