The search for condo survivors in Florida’s condo collapse continues into its second week. Rescue crews and the families of those still missing will meet with President Joe Biden on Thursday. This visit is hoped to bring some comfort to the community.
Biden and Jill Biden will thank search and rescue and first responders. Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, said that they also intend to meet with victims’ families.
The president’s visit is scheduled for the week following the sudden collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside. It was a 12-story condominium building on Surfside’s beachfront.
Six people were found dead Wednesday by search crews combing the rubble. This brings the total number of confirmed dead up to 18. The unaccounted-for number of residents stands at 145.
Freddy Ramirez, Miami-Dade Police Chief, said that he hopes Biden will visit the community and boost morale.
“We have faced many challenges, including weather, sorrow, and pain. He said that he believes the president’s visit will bring unity to our community and support us all, such as our governor and mayor.
Psaki stated that the president and first wife want to ensure that the state and local officials receive the support and resources they require under the emergency declaration for Miami-Dade approved by Biden. She stressed Wednesday that the White House was working closely with local officials to make sure that Biden’s visit does not “pull away from” the ongoing search-and-rescue effort.
Jimmy Patronis, State Fire Marshal, said that he hopes to stress to Biden the need for mental health resources in order to treat rescue workers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Patronis stated, “These guys are so blindly concentrated on the mission to save lives, and unfortunately they see something they can’t unsee.”
“We want them to feel safe and secure when they return home.
Governor. Ron DeSantis (a Republican) and Daniella Levine Cava (a Democrat) have shown unity and cooperation in their response to the crisis.
They had previously argued about how to best respond to the coronavirus pandemic, with disagreements over masks and other ways to combat it. Surfside has not shown any signs of partisanship.
DeSantis spoke highly of Washington’s aid, and even praised the Biden administration for “stepping up”
DeSantis stated that “we really appreciate having support from the president” at Friday’s news conference in Surfside. However, hours earlier, he had criticised President Joe Biden for his border policies during a press conference in the state’s Panhandle.
DeSantis is up for reelection next spring and is believed to be considering a run for the presidency for 2024.
Cava described the loss as “too terrible to bear” and found the remains of a mother and her daughters, aged 4 and 10.
The children were identified by Miami-Dade police as Lucia Guara (10 years old) and Emma Guara (4 years old). Their mother was Anaely Rodriguez (42 year-old). Marcus Guara (52), their father, was pulled from the rubble on Saturday and identified Monday.
Investigating the cause of the collapse is ongoing. An engineering report from 2018 found that the ground floor pool deck of the building was supported by a concrete slab with “major structural damage” that required extensive repairs. In the garage, there was also “abundant cracking of concrete columns and beams.”
Two months prior to the building’s collapse, the president of the board sent a letter to residents stating that the structural problems found in the 2018 inspection had “gotten substantially worse” and that major repairs would likely cost at least $15.5million. The building collapsed suddenly last Thursday, despite the fact that bids were still being received for the work.
