N.C. deck collapse injures 21: Town's hands tied on tougher standards for decks, N.C. deck collapse sent 25 people plummeting from the second story to the patio below. This oceanfront N.C. deck collapse injured 21 people, who were gathered at this private condo residence on the deck, according to USA Today on July 10, 2013. This is not the first deck to collapse under the weight of a group of people, but N.C. towns can't enforce tougher standards for oceanfront decks, their hands are tied.
The injuries from the deck collapse ranged from cuts and bruises to broken bones, but none of the injuries were considered life threatening. An Ocean Isle official said the house on the waterfront was a rental. Like many of the homes in that area, which people flock to for summer vacation, the parties go on and people are outside to get the ocean view.
Mayor Debbie Smith has concerns about decks collapsing along the oceanfront in this vacation community, most likely because of incidents such as this one. Groups of people are on the deck at one time and it collapses under the extra weight. She would like to see tougher standards for the oceanfront decks, but that can't happen.
Local government doesn't allow higher standards than the state of North Carolina dictates. Last month 24 folks were injured when an waterfront deck collapsed in Florida, as reported on Fox News back then. That deck was at a Miami sports bar where it is expected for a crowd of people to be on the deck at one time. Dozens went tumbling into the water in this incident.
It is not just N.C decks that need to be built with stricter standards, it happens all over. It is hitting the headlines more and more today. Decks collapsing under the weight of extra people could be remedied with stricter standards of having the decks built safe enough to hold more weight than the standards call for today.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
N.C. deck collapse injures 21: Town's hands tied on tougher standards for decks
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