Researchers, Building President Previously Warned Residents of Collapse Building's Structural Damage

After a 12-story condo complex collapsed in Surfside, Fla. last week, people are pointing out that the building was reportedly sinking since the 1990s, and that the complex's board president notified residents in April of structural problems. On April 9, Champlain Towers South Condominium President Jean Wodnicki sent a letter to residents warning them of $15 million in necessary repairs for the building. In 2018, an engineer said in a structural survey report that a “major error” was made during the building's construction when waterproofing was laid, and that he found “abundant cracking” and damage in the supporting structures of the parking garage. A researcher at Florida International University said he conducted a study in 2020 that found the building, which was constructed in 1981, sank at a rate of approximately 2 millimeters a year in the 1990s, and may have accelerated since then. The official cause of the collapse is still unknown. As of Tuesday afternoon, 12 people are confirmed dead and 149 people remain unaccounted for. 

The ongoing investigation into the collapse and the search for unaccounted people have received wide coverage across the spectrum. Some left-rated outlets use the collapse as an example of cities built on "reclaimed land" that will likely be affected by climate change. Some voices on the right criticized others for using the collapse to project a "political hot take."