Last day for displaced Coral Springs residents to gather belongings after buildings deemed unsafe
CORAL SPRINGS – Monday marked the last chance for displaced Coral Springs residents to take what they can salvage after their building was deemed unsafe from excessive water damage.
As CBS News Miami's Deborah Souverain approached the entrance of the apartment, she could already smell a strong odor of mold and mildew.
"They told us to move everything out. They didn't give us any time, we just had to rush everything and move all of our important stuff out," said Antwan Clay, who was forced out of his apartment.
As soon as Souverain stepped inside, the problems popped right out.
"And this right here, it's a bubble right there. That's how that started right there," said Clay.
Paint was bubbling under the pressure of too much moisture, just inches from a gaping hole.
"Look at the top, look at all of that. You can smell it," said Clay.
And black mold was found in a closet nearby. Clay says these issues were there long before bad weather rolled through.
"What do they say when you've reached out to them in the past about these issues?" asked Souverain.
"It's really nothing, the landlord moves at his own pace," said Clay.
In another unit, the ceiling crashed down into a tub.
"Need a flashlight to even see," said Ralph Gonzalez.
Gonzalez has lived at the complex for over 20 years. He had to move his mother to a motel because she uses an oxygen tank and the power was cut off.
"All I can say is thank God this happened now and not during a major hurricane, or we would've been God knows where," said Gonzalez.
And a few miles away, the Sherwood apartment building also had to be evacuated after water leaked into an electrical panel.
While repairs are being made at the Sherwood Forest apartments, the Red Cross has stepped in to help, turning this senior center into a temporary shelter.
"If they need any assistance, they can come over to the Sartory Senior Center and we will have case workers," said Red Cross Shelter Manager Ethia Bray-Carter.
The Red Cross will be there until 7 p.m. along with case workers to provide aid to displaced residents.
