WINK Investigates Reporter Olivia Jean
•6/24/2026
SURFSIDE, Fla. (WINK) — Five years after the collapse of Champlain Towers South killed 98 people, federal investigators say the disaster likely began weeks before the condominium came crashing down.
On Monday, the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) National Construction Safety Team released … from a years-long investigation into the June 24, 2021 collapse in Surfside.
Investigators concluded the collapse likely began in early June 2021 when two connections between garage columns and the building's pool deck failed.
According to NIST, those initial failures caused cracks to grow and loads to shift throughout the pool deck over the following three weeks. As the weight of the structure was redistributed, nearby slab-column connections were forced to carry loads they were not designed to support.
Investigators say those connections eventually failed as well, triggering the catastrophic collapse that killed 98 people.
"The collapse began in early June 2021," investigators wrote, concluding the disaster was already unfolding weeks before the building ultimately fell.
Read more about what investigators found here.
NIST ruled out several theories that emerged in the days and months following the collapse, including:
Greg Batista, PE, CGC, SI, president of G. Batista Engineering and Construction, visited Champlain Towers South approximately two years before the collapse.
While he was not involved in NIST's investigation, Batista said the building was showing signs of deterioration.
"Champlain Towers was a walking and talking, ailing building that at any moment something could happen," Batista told WINK Investigates. "It certainly didn't help that the people who were inhabiting the building neglected the condominium for so long and the structural maintenance that's required, and that was certainly a contributing factor," he said.
The collapse prompted Florida lawmakers to approve sweeping condominium safety reforms aimed at preventing a similar tragedy.
Among the changes were new milestone inspection requirements and Structural Integrity Reserve Studies, which help identify major structural repairs and require condominium associations to plan financially for future maintenance needs.
See Senate Bill 4-D here.
Batista said the reforms have put Florida in a better position than it was before the collapse.
"Where we are right now, I think, is a very good place, much better than we were five years ago," Batista said.
Still, he said the biggest lesson from Surfside is the importance of addressing known maintenance problems before they worsen.
One idea he supports is the use of structural monitoring technology that can track movement and changes within a building over time.
Batista said sensors placed throughout a building could detect subtle shifts, cracking or other structural changes and provide early warning signs before problems become severe. Combined with advances in artificial intelligence, he believes the technology could help engineers and property managers identify concerning trends more quickly.
"I truly believe that if this kind of system would have been installed in Champlain Towers, that the message that Champlain Towers was basically saying, 'Hey, I'm sick, I'm sick, I'm sick,'" Batista said.
Still, Batista stressed that technology should complement — not replace — routine inspections and maintenance.
He said the biggest lesson from Surfside remains the importance of addressing known problems before they become emergencies.
"It's a choice between not spending money and not maintaining, and literally your life," Batista said. "This is something that's life-threatening. Your life depends on it."
NIST investigators said their work is not finished.
The agency is now preparing its final report, which will include the evidence, testing and modeling that support its findings, along with recommendations for building codes, standards and safety practices.
The report is expected to serve as a roadmap for future building safety improvements as officials work to prevent another tragedy like Surfside.
