IT’S BEEN ONE YEAR SINCE A 12 STORY OCEANFRONT CONDO COLLAPSED IN FLORIDA, KILLING 98 PEOPLE.
THE DISASTER AT CHAMPLAIN TOWERS SOUTH IN SURFSIDE FLORIDA MARKED THE LARGEST EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN FLORIDA HISTORY THAT DIDN’T INVOLVE A HURRICANE.
THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY WAS MARKED BY A DAY OF CEREMONIES, INCLUDING REMARKS FROM FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN.
BIDEN: WE HONOR THE LIGHT YOU FOUND IN EACH OTHER. A FELLOWSHIP THT YOU NEVER WANTED TO BE A PART OF, BUT DRAW STRENGTH FROM JUST THE SAME.
GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS ALSO ANNOUNCED THE RENAMING A STRETCH OF ROAD IN FRONT OF THE DISASTER SITE TO 98 POINTS OF LIGHT ROAD IN HONOR OF THE LIVES LOST.
ONLY TWO TEENAGERS AND A WOMAN SURVIVED THE FALL AND WERE PULLED FROM THE RUBBLE. OTHERS ESCAPED FROM A PART OF THE BUILDING THAT INITIALLY REMAINED STANDING.
THE CAUSE OF THE COLLAPSE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION, BUT IT WILL LIKELY TAKE YEARS BEFORE ANY ANSWERS ARE KNOWN.
A JUDGE DID APPROVE A SETTLEMENT PACKAGE THURSDAY THOUGH, TOPPING $1 BILLION.