Clearwater Condo Building Evacuated After Support Beam Splits

Local authorities Tuesday evening ordered the evacuation of a condominium building in Clearwater, Florida, after cracks developed in a concrete support beam in the parking garage.

The South Beach III condo building on Sand Key “is currently being evacuated due to a support beam splitting,” Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala posted to social media late Tuesday.

About 60 residents were ordered out, and by 6 p.m. the 12-story building was clear, according to local news reports. The structure has 161 units and was about half-occupied at the time the split beam was noticed by construction workers who were renovating the bottom-floor parking area, WFTS TV news reported.

A contractor and engineer soon began investigating the damage.

The evacuation is the latest of several in the Southeast that have been ordered since the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, in 2021. The Sand Key move came just days after the Florida Legislature revised 2022 laws that required more inspections of condo buildings and more reserve funding to make needed repairs.

It’s unclear if the Sand Key building had completed a recent structural safety evaluation or if repairs were needed after storm surge reportedly inundated part of the lower level parking area during Hurricane Milton last October. It’s also unclear which carriers insured the structure. Calls to the condominium management company were not answered Wednesday morning.

Photo: Google Maps image of South Beach III condominium building on Sand Key. (Google)