While in Florida, Biden says federal government will cover 100% of cost of Surfside building collapse and rescue efforts

While in Florida, Biden says federal government will cover 100% of cost of Surfside building collapse and rescue efforts



During a visit to Florida one week after the Champlain Towers South condo building collapsed, President Joe Biden pledged to have the federal government cover the full cost of rescue and clean up operations for a limited time.

"I think I have the power — and we'll know shortly — to be able to pick up 100% of the cost for the county and the state for 30 days," Biden said during a briefing on the situation Thursday. "I think I'm quite sure I can do that. And so we're going to do that.

"And there's going to be a lot — you all know it because a lot of you have been through it as well — there's going to be a lot of pain and anxiety and suffering and even a need for psychological help in the days and months that follow," he added.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who sat next to Biden during the briefing, thanked the president for his support.

"You recognized the severity of this tragedy from day one and you've been very supportive," DeSantis said.

President Biden traveled to Surfside on Thursday to meet with state and the county officials as rescue efforts are underway at the site where a 12-story condominium building collapsed last week. Hours earlier, search and rescue efforts were temporarily halted because of structural concerns with the building ruins. At least 18 people were confirmed dead and 145 are still unaccounted for.

Biden met with a group of about 50 first responders before meeting with Florida officials to discuss the situation.

"What you're doing now is just hard as hell to deal with, even psychologically, to deal with," Biden told them. "And I just wanted to say thank you."

"Until we need you, no one fully appreciates what you do," the president added. "But I promise you — we know. We know. What you're doing here is incredible, having to deal with the uncertainty, and worrying about the families."

State Republican and Democratic officials who were present at the briefing at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort included Sens. Marco Rubio (R) and Rick Scott (R), Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D), who represents the Surfside area, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (D).

"We live in a nation where we can cooperate," Biden said, emphasizing the bipartisan response to the disaster and touching DeSantis, a speculated 2024 presidential contender, gently on the arm. "It's really important."

The president promised full federal assistance and cooperation with the state in the wake of the tragedy.

"We're not going anywhere," Biden told the gathered officials. "Tell me what you need."

Earlier Thursday, the White House announced that FEMA had deployed 60 staff and an additional 400 personnel across five search and rescue teams at the request of local officials. The agency also made $20 million available to Florida's Division of Emergency Management to pay for unforeseen emergency expenses regarding the collapse.

DeSantis praised the federal government's cooperation during this emergency, noting that "you guys have not only been supportive at the federal level, but we've had no bureaucracy."

"When we're dealing with FEMA, we're literally getting requests routed from local to state to federal in no time," DeSantis said.

After the briefing, Biden had private meetings with families impacted by the condo collapse. A White House official told the media that the president visited with each family who had relatives in the building and planned to stay until everyone who wished to speak with him had a chance to do so.

Distraught family says missing loved ones' landline has called at least 20 times from the rubble at Champlain Towers South



Florida family members say that they have received no fewer than 20 phone calls from their loved ones' landline since the deadly collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, nearly a week ago.

Arnie Notkin, 87, and his wife, Myriam, 81, lived on the doomed building's third floor, and their loved ones say that they began receiving the calls roughly 18 hours after the building partially collapsed.

Eleven people have died as a result of the disaster, and approximately 150 people remain missing at the time of this reporting as search and rescue enters its seventh day.

What are the details?

Dianne Ohayon told the New York Post that calls from her parents have yet to subside.

"They're coming in every day," she told the outlet. "The last one I have knowledge about was Monday morning, a call came in at about 5:30 a.m. It was static. It's the same thing every time. ... There's nobody on the line and it's just static. And we wait and we just hang up because nothing changes."

The landline, according to Ohayon, was next to her parents' bed.

Her nephew, Jake Samuelson — the Notkins' grandson — reached out to an area detective to determine why the calls keep coming in.

Samuelson told the station that when the first call came in, the family sat in stunned silence.

"We were all sitting there in the living room ... and we were just shocked and we kind of thought nothing of it because we answered, and it was static," he said. The day after the deadly collapse, he said the family received 15 more calls.

Ohayon said that her nephew and the rest of the family are hoping to find answers.

"My nephew went on camera to try and find answers, raise awareness and maybe find out if other family members in the building were also receiving calls," she said. "We were just not understanding what these phone calls were meaning. Maybe they were calling for help. We don't know what they mean."

The investigation into the eerie calls continues, and Ohayon said that the family is just waiting for more information on the source of the disturbing phone calls.

A Saturday report from WPLG-TV noted that calls to the Notkins' number that day were met with a busy signal.

"The days are long, but we're still hopeful and we're just waiting," Ohayon added. "Every day is the same process."

Woman inside Surfside's Champlain Towers recalls horrific moment when she realized something was majorly wrong: 'It was infernal'



A survivor from the Surfside, Florida, building collapse disaster says that she didn't know how she was able to escape the tragedy that has claimed at least four lives at the time of this reporting.

What's a brief history here?

A portion of Champlain Towers South collapsed early Thursday morning, its twelve stories pancaking straight down to the ground below.

At the time of this writing, there are at least 159 people who are missing and could potentially still be inside the rubble.

First responders and rescuers continue to comb the debris for any signs of life as the rescue effort enters its third day.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) declared a state of emergency on Thursday for the area.

What are the details?

Florida survivor Iliana Monteagudo told the New York Post's Lorena Mongelli that the incident was more terrifying than anyone could imagine.

Monteagudo, who lived on the building's sixth floor, said that she awakened in the middle of a night to hear strange noises.

"She initially believed they came from the open sliding door to the oceanfront balcony," Mongelli wrote.

The actual source of the sound was not as innocuous.

"I ran and tried to close [the sliding door], but I couldn't," she said. "I imagine it was because it was unlevel already because of all the movement. I heard a crack, and when I looked, I saw a crack traveling in the wall two fingers thick. Something told me, you need to run."

Monteagudo said that she immediately listened to her instinct and was able to escape with her life.

"Two more minutes, no, no," she recalled. "Not even one. There was no more time. ... When I was running down the stairs, I went from six, to five, and then to four, I heard a tremendous noise. It was infernal. The building was falling."

Monteagudo added, "I don't know how I managed to escape."

Monteagudo said that when she emerged from the front of the building, she was in complete darkness. There was smoke and water everywhere, she added, but she immediately began praying.

"God, help me, I want to see my children," Monteagudo recalled saying. "God, please help me, don't let me die like this."

Building security quickly followed her out and advised that they believed an earthquake had struck.

"[W]e need to go," Monteagudo recalled them saying.

"I lost everything now," she said. "I have nothing. But I have my life, and that's all that matters. With life, there is hope we can start again. ... I just pray for all the others that might be trapped."

Monteagudo was unhurt during her escape from the doomed building, having sustained just two bruises while in flight.

What else?

On Saturday, The Guardian reported that engineers had significant concerns over "major structural damage" during a 2018 inspection.

"A Maryland-based consultant found evidence of a failing concrete slab on the pool deck and 'abundant cracking and crumbling' to an underground parking garage during a 2018 inspection," the outlet reported.

The recommended repair work, according to a report from The New York Times, was never completed.

"The structural report was conducted by Morabito Consultants, which was contracted by the condominium's owners' association to assess the structural integrity of the oceanside complex of 136 apartments," the report continued. "It warned that 'the waterproofing below the pool deck and entrance drive as well as all of the planer waterproofing is beyond its useful life and must be completely removed and replaces."

The report, according to The Guardian, also warned, "The failed waterproofing is causing major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas. Failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially."

The reason for the collapse remains unknown at the time of this reporting.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said that the county did not know of the report.

“We are obviously very interested in all of the evidence that's coming to light and we're going to be including it in what happens after the rescue. In the meantime we're taking actions to make sure that other buildings are safe," Cava said.

Security footage from inside Florida condo captures moments just before collapse as debris rains and building groans



A resident of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, shared video footage from inside her condominium just moments before a portion of the building collapsed.

At the time of this reporting, at least four people are dead as a result of the horrific accident, and officials worry that 159 missing people — who were believed to be inside the building at the time of its collapse — are dead.

What are the details?

Rosie Santana, owner of a condominium in the Surfside-area complex, shared video footage of the moments leading up to the building crumbling 12 stories to the ground below.

Santana, who was not in the apartment at the time of its collapse, shared the black and white home security footage to her Twitter feed and captioned it, "I am a resident of one of the condos on the side of the collapse. This is a video from my camera footage inside from the start of the collapse until the lose [sic] of connection (I was away from the building today). Towards the end, you hear the structure failing."

In the video, debris can be seen raining down outside of what appears to be her living room. Ominous shaking and rumbling can soon be heard, and a television box, which is leaning up against a wall in the room, slips as the debris showers even heavier down around the room.

Before the 12-second video cuts, a deep groaning emits from the building just before it crumbles to the ground 12 stories below.

@AgendaFreeTV I am a resident of one of the condos on the side of the collapse. This is a video from my camera foot… https://t.co/Q817oAggWs

— rosie✨ (@_rosiesantana) 1624521394.0

What else?

According to a Thursday report from the New York Post, the Champlain Towers South building had reportedly been sinking at a rate of 2 millimeters per year since at least the 1990s.

The building was also undergoing a structural inspection at the time of its deadly collapse.

The information was divulged in a 2020 study conducted by Shimon Wdowinski, a professor at Florida International University.

"Wdowinski's research focused on which parts of Miami were sinking in an effort to determine what areas could be most impacted by sea-level rise and coastal flooding," the Post reported. "His team found that the Champlain Towers South in Surfside had been sinking at a rate of about 2 millimeters a year in the 1990s, the report said."

Wdowinski told USA Today on Thursday, "We saw this building had some kind of unusual movement," but pointed out that researchers didn't place too much emphasis on the finding, considering the study was focusing on flooding hazards and not engineering concerns.

He added that he did not believe anyone in the city or state government was aware of the study, its findings, or one-line mention of the building in the 2020 study.

"Surfside town officials on Thursday said the high-rise had been undergoing a county-mandated 40-year recertification process, which involves electrical and structural inspections," the Post added.

Video captures wildly awkward moment VP Kamala Harris has to remind President Joe Biden about deadly Fla. building collapse as officials fear 159 could be dead



Video captured the uncomfortable moment Vice President Kamala Harris was forced to remind President Joe Biden of the disaster that struck in Surfside, Florida, on Thursday.

A multistory building in the seaside town partially collapsed in the early hours of Thursday morning, killing at least four people. Officials fear the worst with regard to at least 159 people who were reportedly inside the building at the time of the collapse and who remain missing at the time of this reporting.

What are the details?

During a Thursday White House event, Biden delivered remarks on the country's infrastructure and more and attempted to wrap up the remarks when Harris approached him and appeared to whisper a reminder about the Florida disaster.

"Florida, yeah," Harris is heard saying in the video, according to a Friday report from the New York Post.

Biden responded, "Oh, yes. I apologize. Yes, thank you, Madam Vice President."

He then segued into a brief discussion of the disaster, promising the state any federal funds should Florida request it and added that he was awaiting such a request from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

"We are on top of it," the president insisted. "We are ready to move, from the federal resources, immediately — immediately, if, in fact, we're asked for it."

He continued, "FEMA is down there taking a look at what's needed, including from, everything from — if the rest of those buildings have to be evacuated as well, finding housing for those people, making sure they have the capacity to both have a place to — to shelter, and food to eat, et cetera."

"I made it clear that I say to the people of Florida, whatever help you want that the federal government can provide, we're waiting," he promised. "Just ask us; we'll be there. We'll be there."

Later Thursday afternoon, the Miami Herald reported that DeSantis declared a state of emergency for Miami-Dade County, which enabled federal rescue, housing, and financial assistance.

Read more here:

President Biden Delivers Remarks on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Dealwww.youtube.com

What else?

In video obtained by local Florida media outlets, the building can be seen appearing to collapse from the top down, beginning near the center of the building and working outward to the right.

The cause of the collapse remains unknown at the time of this reporting. According to previous reporting, at least 55 units in the northwest corner of the building were impacted by the collapse.

JUST IN: Video I’ve obtained of the building collapse in Surfside, Florida. https://t.co/BGbRC7iSI9

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) 1624540712.0

Time on Friday reported that Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said that the building is "literally pancaked."

“That is heartbreaking because it doesn't mean, to me, that we are going to be as successful as we wanted to be in finding people alive," he added.

Time's report added, "Hours after the collapse, searchers were trying to reach a trapped child whose parents were believed to be dead. In another case, rescuers saved a mother and child, but the woman's leg had to be amputated to remove her from the rubble."

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, the state's fire marshal, added that he was heartbroken after seeing a photo of a bunk bed teetering on the very edge of the destruction.

"Somebody was probably sleeping in it," he said. "There's all those what-ifs."

Stunning video captures moment Florida condo building collapses: 'We are bracing for some bad news'



Stunning video captured the moment a 12-story condominium building in Surfside, Florida, partially collapsed during the early hours of Thursday morning.

The disaster thus far has claimed the life of one person, but authorities say that at least 51 other people are unaccounted for, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) says that the state is "bracing for some bad news," according to a report from the BBC.

More than 80 rescue teams reportedly responded to the scene at Champlain Towers South early Thursday morning in hopes of rescuing any potential victims.

What are the details?

In video obtained by local Florida media outlets, the building can be seen appearing to collapse from the top down, beginning near the center of the building and working outward to the right.

DeSantis said he would soon be visiting the area.

"We are bracing for some bad news just given the destruction that we're seeing," he warned.

Witness Kimberly Morales, a woman who lives across the street, told local media that she awoke to the sound of alarms and rushed to wake everyone up.

Other eyewitnesses said that they saw a huge cloud of dust.

"We have friends who have family that live in that building," one eyewitness said. "We don't even know if they're OK."

The cause of the collapse remains unknown at the time of this reporting, and CNN reported that approximately 55 units in the northwest corridor of the building were impacted by the collapse.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue has set up a family reunification center and encourages anyone seeking loved ones to call (305) 614-1819. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is also requesting residents of the building to fill out a wellness check form.

The form requests residents' names, contact information, unit number, and whether those living with them have been located.

JUST IN: Video I’ve obtained of the building collapse in Surfside, Florida. https://t.co/BGbRC7iSI9

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) 1624540712.0

Multistory condo building partially collapses; hundreds of first responders flock to the scene to rescue the trapped



A multistory condominium building has partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, killing at least one person and possibly trapping others in the rubble.

More than 80 rescue teams reportedly responded to the scene.

Authorities in South Florida were responding early Thursday to a "partial building collapse," the Miami-Dade Fire R… https://t.co/PS41CDCSpM

— CNN (@CNN) 1624532820.0

What are the details?

The collapse took place around 2 a.m. local time early Thursday morning.

According to CNN, one person died and at least 10 others were treated at the scene.

Of the disaster, Surfside Mayor Charles W. Burkett said, "This is a horrific catastrophe. In the United States, buildings just don't fall down."

BREAKING: Multi-level building collapse reported in Surfside, Florida. Multiple emergency agency's responding.… https://t.co/6j8CD9ijBj

— Izzy (@YWNReporter) 1624517112.0

Kimberly Morales, a woman who lives across the street from the building, said that she was awakened by the sound of alarms going off.

"I woke everyone up in the room because when I looked out the window, I saw everyone outside," she told the outlet. "I told everyone to hurry up and leave the building."

Witness Shmuel Balnaky said that he was walking with his brothers and dog when they heard a "really big rumble."

"And we think that it was a motorcycle — like, classic, early in the morning — and we turn around and we just see a cloud of dust coming our way," he recalled. "And we're just, like, what is going on? So we, like, we start rushing towards there. We pull our shirts over our face so we don't get any, like, dust in our eyes and everything."

Shmuel added, "We have friends who have family that live in the building. We don't even know if they're OK. Some of them are OK. We don't know if the rest are OK."

His brother, Mich, added, "What we saw from the beginning was a huge cloud of smoke and a lot of noise. ... We saw this happen. It was by far the most horrific thing that I've seen. I was alive for 9/11. I didn't see that happen in real life. I saw something like this happen, and it's the closest thing that I can relate to 9/11. This is something that is absolutely insane."

David Shaw, who was inside a neighboring building, said that he felt the whole building shake.

"You couldn't see," he said of the view from his window. "I thought it was, like, a storm or something coming in. When the dust cleared, the back ... two-thirds of the building was gone, it was down to the ground."

What else?

The Jerusalem Post reported that the building — which it identified as Champlain Towers – sits in one of the most Jewish neighborhoods in the Miami area.

According to the outlet, the mayor has expressed concerns that the building might entirely collapse, and authorities believe there may be multiple fatalities.

"The mayor said 15 family units walked out of the building," the outlet reported. "10 people were treated on-site and two were taken to the hospital, however CBS is reporting that there have been nine hospitalizations so far. One of the hospitalizations was the single confirmed fatality, according to the mayor. He added that there are likely several apartments still unaccounted for."

The Miami Herald reported that first responders brought dogs to sniff out any possible survivors in the rubble.

"They aren't turning up much," Surfside Commissioner Eliana Salzhauer said. "No one is celebrating anyone being pulled out."

On Thursday morning, WPLG-TV reported that "numerous others" are trapped in the rubble

"The power has been cut off to the building and it appeared that part of at least four levels were totally destroyed in the collapse," the station reported.

The cause of the collapse remains unknown at the time of this reporting.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue has set up a family reunification center, the Herald reported, and encouraged anyone seeking loved ones to call (305) 614-1819.