Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Condo Evacuated Due To Electrical Concerns
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami/AP) - Residents of a Lauderdale-by-the-Sea condo have been evacuated due to electrical problems which increased the risk of fire and electrocution.
Those who live in the Crane Crest Apartments may be out of their homes for months due to supply chain delays in getting the equipment needed for repairs, according to the SunSentinel.
The nine-story, 107-unit complex has only a few dozen residents in the off-season, but more in the winter when residents from the northeast and international and Canadian snowbirds come down.
Jim Hook, the homeowner association's vice president, told the SunSentinel that a temporary fix for the electrical equipment could happen in as quickly as two weeks, but anticipated supply chain issues could last months.
Hook said they first realized there was a problem when air conditioners stopped working. Water was found to have spread under the building and was gushing in the mechanical area. Electrical conduits under the building were rotted away. An engineer warned the building won't pass its mandatory 50-year reinspection until fixes are made.
Hook said he's been criticized by some residents for sharing the information with town officials because it led to the evacuation. But he said safety is "at the forefront of our minds."
At least three large multi-unit buildings in South Florida have been evacuated due to safety problems in the months since Champlain Towers South in Surfside collapsed, killing 98 people.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)