What if Champlain Towers South had been inspected 20 years before it collapsed and killed 98 people last year?
It’s hard to dwell on the what-ifs. But since the tragedy in Surfside, many experts, as well as the Miami Herald Editorial Board, have agreed that engineers should have looked at the building’s structures sooner. At the time of the collapse in June, the tower was going through Miami-Dade County’s re-certification process, required 40 years after construction.
If waiting 40 years is too long, imagine not requiring building inspections at all. That’s the reality in most of Florida. Luckily, lawmakers from both parties agree that needs to change.
