My wife is on her first work trip since the pandemic began in 2020 and we happen to be passing though Miami. So, it was bizarre to wake up to news that a high-rise apartment just up the coast had collapsed in the early hours of Thursday. It became national news. It was on a strip that we often pass en route to a shopping mall. Ironically, we’re staying south of there, in downtown Miami, part of a city of pale colour high-rise buildings of no great design greatness, about which I was complaining as I looked out of a hotel window.
By day’s end, Florida’s governor had declared a state of emergency (SOE):
Following which, President Biden approved the SOE, so that federal relief assistance could be provided:
Our daughter met some friends around Miami Beach yesterday and noticed that police were everywhere. It’s an odd situation, and we hope and pray that the death toll will remain low: it’s currently 1 person, but about 100 are still not yet accounted for.
Jamaica: Political Economy moon 
It doesn’t seem right to leave a like on a post about a catastrophe. I wonder whether rising water levels had anything to do with the collapse?
LikeLike
I see no problems liking what you like for whatever your reason, eg someone making a connection or raising awareness of sometimes uncomfortable topics. Early reports of building subsiding since 1990s point to structural flaws in design or construction.
LikeLike
I guess you could say the meaning of “like” has changed, thanks to social media. It still feels odd to me to “like” a tragedy!
I’ve been following the discussion about causes, and have a relative that works for a construction company there. They’ve been taking measures to counteract the effects of rising sea levels for some time. Seems the sea seeps through the limestone underneath Miami and raises the water levels. Never mind the difficulties of building by the sea.
I expect they’re going to find there’s no single cause.
LikeLike