After a harrowing experience last week for residents of the South Beach III Condos in Clearwater, a semblance of normalcy is on the horizon as authorities have cleared the majority of the evacuees to return home. A report from ABC Action News detailed the initial evacuation today when a severe crack in a concrete column put the structure's integrity under scrutiny and led to the immediate displacement of approximately 60 residents.
The execution of the evacuation was abrupt, as resident Bobby Liles recounted to ABC Action News, "I was working in the middle of a meeting, and I had some weird beeps and I’m not sure what it was, but it was the fire department telling me to evacuate immediately." Since the discovery, crews have been working to address the structural concerns, leading to a partial all-clear for residents to return, though some still face restrictions, particularly those in units stationed directly above the compromised column.
In a statement obtained by WFLA, Scott May described the urgency of the evacuation, "I was up in my condo with my son, and all of a sudden, about 5 o’clock, we get a real loud bang on the door. I said, ‘man, that’s kind of strange’ and then, I opened the door and there were two firemen fully dressed in their equipment and said, ‘you have to get out right now’." Residents had the opportunity for a brief moment over the weekend to witness the repair efforts firsthand.
According to FOX 13 News, Clearwater Fire & Rescue alongside Clearwater police officers were the first respondents, initiating the evacuation process on May 6 after the crack's discovery in the condo building. The decision to allow residents to return follows a thorough evaluation by engineers, and while a number of restrictions remain, the progression towards safety and normalcy continues, although those in stacks 4 & 5 must wait longer, their units hanging ominously above the site of potential peril.
