Following a briefing Wednesday on Tropical Storm Elsa at Florida’s Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will not commit to any state action to address concerns about aging buildings, The Miami Herald reported.
DeSantis said that condominiums are “kind of a dime a dozen, particularly in southern Florida,” according to The Miami Herald. He also said the Champlain Towers South condominium complex in Surfside “had problems from the start.” (RELATED: ‘Zero Chance’ For Survivors In Surfside Condo Collapse, Fire Rescue Official Says)
Specifically, DeSantis would not say if he supports a requirement that aging buildings throughout Florida be recertified, The Miami Herald reported. Miami-Dade and Broward are the only counties in Florida that mandate aging high-rises have an inspection after 40 years and other counties do not require routine inspections, according to The Miami Herald.
DeSantis won’t commit to review of aging buildings after Surfside tragedy https://t.co/XRWdl06ca5
— Tampa Bay Times (@TB_Times) July 7, 2021
“We obviously want to be able to identify why did this happen,” DeSantis said, The Miami Herald reported. “Is this something that was unique to this building? Is it something that was unique to the person that maybe developed it — because obviously there are sister properties? Is it something that buildings of that age, that would have implications beyond that whether southern Florida or the entire state of Florida? I think we need to get those definitive answers.”
The Champlain Towers South condominium complex in Surfside crumbled at about 1:20 a.m. on June 24 as it was going through its 40-year recertification process, according to The Miami Herald.
Despite the arrival of inclement weather due to Tropical Storm Elsa, first responders continue working on the debris pile of the Champlain Towers building collapse in Surfside. pic.twitter.com/Gc12hdtu86
— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) July 5, 2021
Residents of a North Miami Beach condominium complex evacuated Friday after officials determined it was unsafe, according to NBC News.