Live Updates: Remaining Surfside Condo Structure Is Demolished nytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Pinellas County commissioners enacted a local state of emergency Sunday afternoon as preparations continue ahead of the expected arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa within the next couple of days.
County Administrator Barry Burton said although there was still high levels of uncertainty as to the risk and threat to Pinellas, the best course of action was to âprepare for the worst and hope of the best.â
According to the latest information from the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Elsa could make landfall about 65 miles north of Pinellas County, Emergency Management Director Cathie Perkins said. Still the timing of Elsaâs arrival and the intensity remain unknowns.
USA TODAY
All eyes were on Tropical Storm Elsa on Sunday as it churned closer to Florida with a likely landfall early this week.
Tropical storm conditions with winds over 39 mph could whip up by late Monday in South Florida, forecasters said, a concern that helped spur a decision to demolish the remains of a condo that collapsed in Surfside, near Miami Beach. Officials fear strong winds from the storm could topple the portion of the condo still standing, endangering rescue crews. Work could begin as early as Sunday.
Even if the storm tracks west, South Florida would not be completely spared. We have a building here in Surfside that is tottering. It is structurally unsound,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “And although the eye of the storm is not likely to pass over this direction, you could feel gusts in this area.”
Explosives set off to bring down rest of collapsed condo
SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) â Demolition crews set off explosives late Sunday to bring down the damaged remaining portion of a collapsed South Florida condo building, a key step to resuming the search for victims as rescuers possibly gain access to new areas of the rubble.
A number of explosions could be heard and then the building started to fall, sending up massive plumes of dust into the air in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Crews were to begin clearing some of the new debris so rescuers could start making their way into parts of the underground garage that is of particular interest. Once there, they were hoping to get a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble and could possibly harbor survivors.
Explosives set off to bring down rest of collapsed condo
SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) â Demolition crews set off explosives late Sunday to bring down the damaged remaining portion of a collapsed South Florida condo building, a key step to resuming the search for victims as rescuers possibly gain access to new areas of the rubble.
A number of explosions could be heard and then the building started to fall, sending up massive plumes of dust into the air in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Crews were to begin clearing some of the new debris so rescuers could start making their way into parts of the underground garage that is of particular interest. Once there, they were hoping to get a clearer picture of voids that may exist in the rubble and could possibly harbor survivors.