Demolition Of Thirty Story Building Causes Thick Layer Of Dust And Smoke

The video shows how a hurricane-damaged 30-story tower is brought down in West Palm Beach. Built in 1974, the tower was, at that time, the tallest residential building in the state of Florida. Twice damaged in recent hurricanes, the structure, which had water intrusion problems, broken windows and exterior panel loss, had been unoccupied for more than five years as the owners decided whether to rehab the structure or rebuild on the site.

Before the demolition, all the wood doors, sheetrock, kitchen cabinetry, and bathroom fixtures had been removed, clearing each floor to the frames and studs. Everybody is very excited about the approaching implosion since the building had lain fallow for five years, driving property values down and aesthetically impacting the area. One of the most challenging aspects of both the pre-implosion preparatory demolition work and the actual shot was the size of building's plot - the 279-foot tall tower has to fall in one big within its original footprint.

Right before they are getting ready to take down the tower, the entire town of West Palm Beach is out to watch it. As the cameraman is getting closer and closer, we see more and more people gathered to observe the breath-taking event. Crowds of people are all over the place, at the vicinity of the building. There is the fire rescue brigade, ambulance vehicles and media coverage. People wait restlessly before they witness the huge implosion. A loud detonation is heard in the distance and we see the tower collapsing all at once leaving a thick cloud of dust and smoke high in the air. The view is marvellous - everybody shouts in awe and excitement giving applause and loud ovations.