When the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo in Miami, Florida suburb Surfside collapsed in the middle of the night, it was a tragedy in the classic sense. Because it might have been prevented. The event also serves as a warning, according to some experts.

As noted in a statement by Morabito Consultants, an engineering firm retained in 2018 by the Champlain Towers South Condominium Association ahead of a mandatory 40-year building recertification, "At that time, we also provided the condominium association with an estimate of the probable costs to make the extensive and necessary repairs. Among other things, our report detailed significant cracks and breaks in the concrete, which required repairs to ensure the safety of the residents and the public."

The association brought the firm back in 2020 to prepare a repair and restoration plan, but nothing was done in time.