35 High-Rise Buildings In South Florida Are Sinking

Nearly three dozen high-rise condos and luxury hotels along South Florida's coastline are sinking or settling in unexpected ways, in some cases due to nearby construction, according to a new study.

The research surveyed 35 buildings along a nearly 12-mile (19-kilometer) stretch from Miami Beach to Sunny Isles Beach.

The research surveyed 35 buildings along a nearly 12-mile (19-kilometer) stretch from Miami Beach to Sunny Isles Beach.

These buildings have sunk or settled by between 0.8 and 3.1 inches (2 to 8 cm). About half of the structures are less than a decade old, the scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science reported in their recently published study.

“The discovery of the extent of subsidence hotspots along the South Florida coastline was unexpected,” said Farzaneh Aziz Zanjani, the study’s lead author.

A separate study earlier this year found that buildings in major Atlantic Coast cities, including New York City, Long Island, Baltimore, and Virginia Beach, are sinking at rates exceeding that of rising seawater.

The South Florida survey area included Surfside, the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse in June 2021, which claimed 98 lives. However, that tragedy is believed to have resulted from deteriorating reinforced concrete caused by poor maintenance and design flaws.