RSSRoof Collapses on Daytona Beach Apartment Building
On Thanksgiving night, after millions of people throughout Florida had sat down to well-stocked tables of turkey and stuffing, a partially repaired roof on a six-story apartment building in Daytona Beach disrupted the otherwise peaceful ending to the holiday for over 100 individuals. According to the official report, it was near midnight when Dorman, a resident of the Overlook Apartments, exited his unit and was met with the sound of running water. The sound was coming from the stairwell and Dorman went to investigate. When he peeked through the doorway and into the stairwell, he saw what looked like a waterfall going down the entirety of the stairs.
The rain had begun falling heavily earlier in the day, but most people thought nothing of it, safe as they were in their homes. Residents of the Overlook Apartment building, which is located close to Seabreeze Boulevard and North Halifax Avenue, were caught completely off guard by the sudden rush of water which quickly penetrated the walls and hallways and began to flood individual apartments.
Video from the scene depicts apartment residents walking through pools of water up to their ankles, trying to salvage as many of their belongings as possible before the water completely destroys everything.
Officials with the Daytona Beach Fire Department responded to emergency calls and helped assist in the evacuation of the building before launching an investigation into reasons behind the flood. It seems that the management company that owns the apartment building had been in the process of repairing the roof in the days leading up to the holiday. The work was not finished on Thursday, and the initial investigation concluded that the water from the rain collected somewhere in the center of the south tower’s roof, directly above a vacant apartment. The roof, awaiting a completion of repairs, was not able to handle the sudden weight of all the water and caved in, emptying the entirety of its contents into the empty unit.
Daytona Beach Fire Department members reported that all 120 residents of the Overlook Apartments were evacuated, with at least 15 of them staying at a Red Cross shelter that opened at Daytona Beach’s First Baptist Church. While no individuals were reported as being injured in the incident, the water still caused massive amounts of damage to personal property.
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.