Construction Cranes Cause For Concern Ahead Of Hurricane Dorian
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – There is a major building boom underway in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and all of those cranes being used in the skyscraper construction is a major cause for concern for South Florida residents.
Miami resident Jake Edelstein is concerned about the cranes and what the winds from Hurricane Dorian might do. Edelstein rents a condo in the downtown Miami area not far from where 3 cranes collapsed in September of 2017 after Hurricane Irma.
"In the past cranes have fallen in South Florida and they are building here so much and I'm so concerned about a hurricane of this size," said Edelstein. "My biggest concerns in this neighborhood is that I live in around Biscayne Boulevard and what could potentially happen."
Marc Price also hopes all of the cranes in the area where he lives and around Miami Dade are secured properly.
"Of course I realize there has to be a high standard and I know they're making preparations but this is hard with what the weather can do. I know the process is costly and takes time it is a conundrum," said Price.
Irma's powerful winds snapped three cranes at South Florida construction sites in 2017.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez says the city is taking aggressive steps regarding crane safety. He says companies have been told that cranes must be secured before the arrival of the storm and anyone failing to do so will face hefty fines.
"We've already informed the crane operators and contractors that they have to secure their cranes," said Mayor Suarez. "We saw obviously during Hurricane Irma that we had multiple cranes that failed and were a huge danger to our residents."
In Fort Lauderdale, inspectors also say they are making sure cranes are secure before the storm.
In Miami Beach, Mayor Dan Gelber says all contractors have been instructed to secure their work zones including securing construction cranes. The City Building Department visited all seven crane and hoist sites in the city on Tuesday, August 27 to have contractors begin preparing the cranes for high wind conditions and to perform a safety inspection.
