What are the possible warning signs of a structure collapse?

Numerous recent disasters, in several parts of the world, should alert us to the fact that people are going to be trapped under buildings and other structures in the foreseeable future. The very nature of our technologically sophisticated and "growing taller" society continually increases the likelihood that this sort of calamity will occur. Current construction trends and population increases seem to continually expand the risks as people move further up from the ground. With the advent of the "High-Rise" buildings comes the very real concern of a "building collapse".

Each year the buildings seem to get taller and taller and "Mother Nature" or her creations seem to take their toll of more and more of them. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, and other weather phenomenon have shown a far greater capacity for destruction, than society has for building structures that will withstand the weather or earth disruptions. Both weather and ground patterns have the potential for mass destruction of both structures and the people that they contain. Man made destructive forces also play a major role in the cause of building collapses.

What are the possible warning signs of a structure collapse?