MIAMI (WSVN) - Construction crews around South Florida, especially Miami, have been working to clean up sites as much as possible before Hurricane Irma hits.
On Thursday, crews prepared for Irma’s strong wind speeds by hauling away loose tools and equipment. “Clean up anything that flies,” said a worker. “Anything that flies will fly.”
As a heavy piece of glass was lowered, workers emphasized the dangers of unsecured objects. “It’s a 100-pound piece of glass,” said another worker. “If it gets airborne, we’re looking at somebody getting hurt.”
Even drainage systems were checked ahead of possible flooding and heavy rain.
All of the precautionary efforts began days ago, however, in order to prepare in time for Irma’s projected weekend landfall. “We’ve been working on it since we came back to work after the holiday on Tuesday,” said a man. “So we have about 100 guys working three different streets right now.”
Cranes have become a concern for residents, as 20-25 of them remain in the city. They’re designed to withstand 145 mile per hour winds — not a Category 5 hurricane.
A building department official in South Florida advised against residents staying in a building next to a construction crane during a hurricane as powerful as Irma.
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