Aging condo buildings, a history of violent weather and sometimes lagging upkeep are all taking their toll on the high-rise condo building that dot the Florida coasts.
In the latest instance, authorities Tuesday evening ordered the evacuation of a building in Clearwater after cracks developed in a concrete support beam in the parking garage.
The South Beach III condo building on Sand Key “is currently being evacuated due to a support beam splitting,” Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala posted to social media late Tuesday.
A contractor and engineer soon began investigating the damage.
The evacuation is the latest of several in the Southeast that have been ordered since the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, in 2021.
The South Beach III, located on Sand Key, was evacuated just days after the Florida Legislature revised 2022 laws that required more inspections of condo buildings and more reserve funding to make needed repairs.
A storm surge reportedly inundated part of the lower level parking area during Hurricane Milton last October.