With the threat of Tropical Storm Elsa looming, the remainder of the partially collapsed Miami Beach-area condo building could be brought down as early as Sunday, officials said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Saturday morning that the state will pay all costs associated with the demolition of Champlain Towers South in Surfside.
That process could start “as early as tomorrow,” Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said during the press conference.
The announcement comes a day after Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the standing portion of the complex was subject to an emergency order “to demolish the building as soon as engineers sign off on next steps.”
“Our top priority remains search and rescue,” Cava said at a news conference Friday. But “the building poses a threat to public health and safety.”
Part of the threat comes as Tropical Storm Elsa approaches Florida. The storm could hit the state as early as Monday, impacting search and rescue efforts. Emergency experts worry that the storm’s strong winds could compromise the remaining structure and threaten the safety of rescue workers.
A contract to authorize the demolition has already been signed, Cava said Saturday. Survivors and families of the 124 people who remain unaccounted for have been briefed about the plans to demolish the building.
Meanwhile, two more bodies were found in the rubble, increasing the confirmed death toll to 24, according to the mayor. At least 188 people have been accounted for, Cava said.
July 3, 202102:09
Following the collapse, officials are reviewing the structural integrity of all city condo high-rises above five stories. As part of that audit, one North Miami condominium complex was deemed unsafe, prompting an overnight evacuation effort.
North Miami Beach Building and Zoning Department ordered the “immediate closure and evacuation of Crestview Towers Condominium” after the agency was informed of a Jan. 11 recertification report in which an engineer said the 156-unit complex “was structurally and electrically unsafe.” More than 300 people who were living in the building have been evacuated, NBC Miami reported.
Out-of-town rescue crews who have been assisting on search and rescue efforts are now being forced to return home to engage in emergency preparation efforts due to the looming storm.
Charlotte County Public Safety Director Jason Fair, who is from a coastal town about three hours away from Surfside, told TODAY he spent 12 hours sifting through the rubble but is now returning to his hometown which is on Elsa’s path.
“It’s time to switch hats and start taking on another public safety role,” Fair said.
Other local rescue crews will remain on Surfside as they embark on their tenth day of search efforts.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
