Homeowners in a downtown Miami condo building are sleeping with no air conditioning Monday night after a water pipe burst over the weekend.
Neighbors haven’t had A/C since Saturday, and there’s been a heat advisory every day since. That heat index in Miami on Monday reached 106 degrees – and the A/C wasn't the only problem at Biscayne 50.
The elevators also haven’t been working. That’s why the door to the stairwell is propped open, so residents can walk to and from their units in a building that has 54 floors.
“Saturday night I come back home from my work, and the first floor was flooded, and there were people working and they told me the elevators were not working at all, so we had to take the stairs," resident Paola Moya said.
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NBC6 talked to Moya after she finished walking down 19 flights of stairs because she lives on the 19th floor at Biscayne 50.
One elevator was operational for a bit, but it went out of service.
“It worked one elevator for two hours I think, but then stopped and firefighters came because people were trapped inside," Moya said.
According to 50 Biscayne property management, this past weekend, a pipe on the third floor burst, causing flooding in the lobby, garage and some businesses. A nail salon on the first floor also got water damage. The business is also without A/C, just like the entire building, which has 528 condos.
“The big issue, there is handicapped people that live in the highest floor, like the 54th floor, and with babies, too – I don't know how they are doing honestly. Also, the A/C is not working in any unit," Moya said.
Early Monday evening, neighbors received an email updating them on the situation, saying they’ll go at least another night with no A/C and that parts should arrive later this week.
The email also said that they’ve come up with a temporary solution to provide A/C inside their units until permanent repairs are complete.
NBC6 asked another resident if she knew what that solution was, and she said no.
In a statement to NBC6, property management said in part:
"…throughout this process, we’ve focused on supporting residents by offering transportation throughout the community and moving their belongings. We are staying in constant communication and addressing all concerns. We remain committed to the safety and comfort of this community and will continue to share updates with residents as soon as they are available.”
