FL- 12 Story Condo Partial Building Collapse, many still unaccounted for, Miami, 24 June 2021 #2

[JaimeInLA]

Does that mean they had already rescued the one dog and two cats?

I think they are trying to make us believe that the dog and two cats escaped on their own.

 

[drama_farmer]

High rise evacuations have begun. No surprises there.

Maybe the cruise industry can provide some help to the "regular folk", as well. Losing your home as a preventative measure must be especially stressful.

 

[KALI]

This is heartbreaking. What are these people going to do?

Here's another building about 20 minutes from Surfside that is under an evacuation order.

It seems less affluent than the Champlain Towers and missed it's 40-year and 50-year review

Many of the occupants are Latino seniors who have no place to go and no family to go to.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/07/02/crestview-north-miami-beach-evacuation/

 

[nhmemorymaker]

This is scary too. With the Delta variance gaining such momentum in Florida.... 6 firefighters have tested positive.

At Least 6 Firefighters Test Positive For COVID At Surfside Condo Collapse Search Site

 

[Chelly]

SDS71 thank you immensely for the update. Ugh, must have been heartbreaking to be spoken by officials, and heard by families.
Lives will be changed forever. There will always be: "what life was like before the collapse" and "what our life is now." It will be the hardest journey imaginable even with strong community and faith based support.
If that structure is posing eminent danger, it has got to come down now. No one else needs to die.

@IQuestion . Do you think this will be the beginning of a rash of unsafe building closings?

 

[Chelly]

This is heartbreaking. What are these people going to do?

I've been thinking , "What would I do in their place?" It is terrifying. It seems the Champlain Towers residents are forced to evacuate leaving most possessions behind?

 

[Betty P]

This is scary too. With the Delta variance gaining such momentum in Florida.... 6 firefighters have tested positive.

At Least 6 Firefighters Test Positive For COVID At Surfside Condo Collapse Search Site

If they and the other first responders have all been vaccinated, it shouldn't be a problem. It's only a problem for people who have refused to get vaccinated or small children.

 

[MimosaMornings]

If they and the other first responders have all been vaccinated, it shouldn't be a problem. It's only a problem for people who have refused to get vaccinated or small children.

I doubt if 50% of first responders have been vaccinated. JMO

 

[Betty P]

I doubt if 50% of first responders have been vaccinated. JMO

If so, that's shocking. One would think they are given priority in getting vaccinations, due to their work. If any of them made a conscious choice not to get vaccinated, there isn't much anyone can do for them.

 

[IQuestion]

If they and the other first responders have all been vaccinated, it shouldn't be a problem. It's only a problem for people who have refused to get vaccinated or small children.

Gosh BettyP (love seeing you here, btw) I was wondering if that (proof of vaccinations) was a requirement for the search crews that volunteered from other countries and also the relatives who were granted emergency visas. Can't remember (gorgeous young fella') who spoke at one of the press conferences..."for every action, there is a reaction." So true...

 

[MimosaMornings]

If so, that's shocking. One would think they are given priority in getting vaccinations, due to their work. If any of them made a conscious choice not to get vaccinated, there isn't much anyone can do for them.

It’s a conscious choice.
They have shut down the large vaccination spots because of declining interest/attendance.
JMO

 

[Betty P]

Gosh BettyP (love seeing you here, btw) I was wondering if that (proof of vaccinations) was a requirement for the search crews that volunteered from other countries and also the relatives who were granted emergency visas. Can't remember (gorgeous young fella') who spoke at one of the press conferences..."for every action, there is a reaction." So true...

It's just science. It would make sense for officials to meet with all the first responders and give them vaccinations if they haven't had them. If people don't want a vaccination, they'll have to suffer the consequences if its spreading around the work site. I don't know how much more we can do for people who have access to vaccines, but refuse them. Quarantine them?

 

[Dontknow?]

@Betty P
I read an article earlier which I can't find now, that said they had vaccinations and they had mild cases of covid. But then again, there's always another that may state differently. fwiw

doh, read back and it's posted. oops

 

[IQuestion]

@IQuestion . Do you think this will be the beginning of a rash of unsafe building closings?

Yes CHELLY, If not a "rash" definitely a lot of municipalities examining how reports are processed. There should be a process in place, "No board gets to hire a private engineer without the resulting report being being cc'd to all code enforcement, permitting, building codes, health dept, safety etc." There has to be total transparency, from beginning to end. Mandated reporting by engineers would be a good start. No hiding behind, "This report is only for the people who hired me to make it." (I am not blaming the structural engineers...if the municipalities allowed it or the engineers were afraid of being sued by the HOA for disclosing the information.) It is insulting to read someone actually took the time to make a report and order light bulbs be replaced & changed, while thousands of gallons of water was being pumped out of the garage and cement was deteriorating. It is all so crazy and mixed up. In one article I read, "I grieved for 3 days and now I am angry." I get it. (SMH... and practicing restraint.)

 

[JaimeInLA]

Maybe the cruise industry can provide some help to the "regular folk", as well. Losing your home as a preventative measure must be especially stressful.

I don’t see why a private company would step in to help people who did not keep up on their home maintenance. I understand in the Champlain Towers case because of the collapse. But in the case of people who just have to move out temporarily because they neglected repairs — they are on their own. These are not apartment buildings. They are condominium complexes. Part of the responsibility of owning something is taking care of it.

 

[Betty P]

Yes CHELLY, If not a "rash" definitely a lot of municipalities examining how reports are processed. There should be a process in place, "No board gets to hire a private engineer without the resulting report being being cc'd to all code enforcement, permitting, building codes, health dept, safety etc." There has to be total transparency, from beginning to end. Mandated reporting by engineers would be a good start. No hiding behind, "This report is only for the people who hired me to make it." (I am not blaming the structural engineers...if the municipalities allowed it or the engineers were afraid of being sued by the HOA for disclosing the information.) It is insulting to read someone actually took the time to make a report and order light bulbs be replaced & changed, while thousands of gallons of water was being pumped out of the garage and cement was deteriorating. It is all so crazy and mixed up. In one article I read, "I grieved for 3 days and now I am angry." I get it. (SMH... and practicing restraint.)

Maybe it will inspire some changes, as did the MGM Grand hotel fire in Las Vegas. Eighty five people were killed and over 500 were injured. Anyone remember that one? Hubs and I were talking about it last night. For a while it made everyone nervous about staying in a high rise hotel.

MGM Grand fire - Wikipedia

40 years later: Reflections on the Las Vegas MGM Grand hotel fire

It resulted in a lot of changes in fire safety and building codes, IIRC. Hopefully, that happens again, but I'm not as hopeful this time around.

 

[JaxFlaGal]

Gosh BettyP (love seeing you here, btw) I was wondering if that (proof of vaccinations) was a requirement for the search crews that volunteered from other countries and also the relatives who were granted emergency visas. Can't remember (gorgeous young fella') who spoke at one of the press conferences..."for every action, there is a reaction." So true...

In Florida, first responders were in the priority groups for vaccines, but they are not mandatory. In early May, Governor DeSantis signed the bill banning proof of vaccinations as a requirement within the state of Florida. He put an executive order in place banning "vaccine passports" in April (blocking any business or government entity from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination - Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Landmark Legislation to Ban Vaccine Passports and Stem Government Overreach). Given that, rescue teams from other locales would not have been required to show proof of vaccination by state or local officials before working the scene, and neither would the Florida first responders. However, an estimated 72% of Dade County residents over the age of 12 have been vaccinated. That's much better than the statewide average of 58% (http://ww11.doh.state.fl.us/comm/_p..._archive/covid19-data/covid19_data_latest.pdf)

That said, people traveling via air to the US from another country would have been required to have negative tests before boarding a US-bound flight. The CDC currently requires covid tests before international air travel into the US: "All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the United States." (COVID-19 and Your Health)

 

[drama_farmer]

Maybe it will inspire some changes, as did the MGM Grand hotel fire in Las Vegas. Eighty five people were killed and over 500 were injured. Anyone remember that one? Hubs and I were talking about it last night. For a while it made everyone nervous about staying in a high rise hotel.

MGM Grand fire - Wikipedia

40 years later: Reflections on the Las Vegas MGM Grand hotel fire

It resulted in a lot of changes in fire safety and building codes, IIRC. Hopefully, that happens again, but I'm not as hopeful this time around.

It's a very different climate today, when government oversight and enforcing regulations are seen by some to be an infringement on "freedom." IMO

 

[SuziQ]

Heartwarming moment woman breaks down as she reunited with man who rescued her from condo collapse | Daily Mail Online

 

[KALI]

Thank you Dixiegirl! So many wonderful people and families.

A lengthy article with more photos and background stories on the lives of many missing or recovered.

ABC News Florida building collapse: What we know about those missing, dead