Beachfront condo building in South Carolina deemed unsafe, evacuated

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF/Gray News) - A high-rise condominium building has been deemed unsafe by Horry County officials as of Friday afternoon, leaving residents without a home and in the unknown about when they may return.

Lisa Wylie Little was renting a condo in the Renaissance Tower for her family vacation with her two kids and husband when they were told to evacuate Friday night.

Little said her husband happened to be in the lobby when Horry County police said everyone had to be evacuated immediately.

“And while he was coming through the lobby, one of the guys said, ‘You need to get your family and go ‘cause we’re evacuating the building,”' said Little. “So luckily, he was able to grab one of the carts because they went fast. He came straight to the room and said, ‘Get everything together. We have to get out of here.’”

According to Little, Horry County police evacuated the entire 22-story building and deemed it unsafe.

Authorities said Renaissance Tower has structural damage, but have not elaborated on how severe the damages are, and when or if residents will be able to return.

“I know the building is still standing right now at this moment,” said Little. “At the time when you’re being told by somebody in authority that there is seriously dangerous structural damage to this building, and I’m shocked that it’s still standing. That makes you go, ‘Holy crap, we have to get out of here.”

WMBF News reached out to the property management company, Empress Management, but they declined to comment.

Condo safety has been brought to the forefront nationally after a condo collapse in Surfside, Florida, killed 98 people in June of last year.

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