Remembering the Florida Surfside Condo Tower Collapse

It’s been three years since the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. Recorded as one of the deadliest structural failures in U.S. history, the tragedy claimed the lives of 98 people. Of the building’s 136 units, 55 were part of the collapse.

A permanent memorial was established by the then-mayor to honor the victims and survivors. In August 2022, part of Collins Avenue was renamed 98 Points of Light Way as a tribute.

Originally built in 1981, the Champlain Towers South had reported no structural issues even after enduring Hurricane Andrew. This raised significant questions about why the collapse occurred.

Building documents revealed that the condominium was due for its mandatory 40-year inspection, which had already begun at the time of the tragedy. Issues were identified, and an action plan was set in motion with contractors hired to address the problems. Tragically, the repairs were not completed in time. Following the collapse, engineers began exploring a proposal to reduce the interval for mandatory building safety inspections from 40 years to 20 years.

In addition to the structural concerns, Dr. Shimon Wdowinski from Florida International University’s Department of Earth and Environment had been studying land subsidence in the area. He reported that the condo had been sinking. However, another engineer’s findings suggested that environmental conditions were not significant contributors to the collapse.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) launched an investigation into the disaster, which is expected to conclude by the summer of 2025.

A little over a year after the tragedy, a $70 million class-action settlement was awarded to the families of the victims and property owners affected.

Despite the years that have passed since the collapse and the legal settlement, many questions about what went wrong remain unanswered.