The following excerpts are from the Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances in the event that hurricane watches and/or warnings are posted for the City of Miami. The Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances present a series of best practices and industry standards for all special hurricane inspections — regardless of geographic location, local ordinance, and building code.

Pursuant to Chapter 8, Section 8-16 of the Building Code – Special Hurricane Inspections:

(a) During such periods of time as the National Weather Service has issued a severe weather advisory that is in effect for Miami-Dade County, best efforts must be used so that all furniture, display racks, material and similar loose objects in exposed outdoor locations, including loose material of projects under construction are secured or otherwise appropriately braced to rigid construction or stored in buildings to the extent practicable given the conditions. Orders shall be oral or written and shall be given to any person on the premises most logically responsible for maintenance and such orders shall be carried out before winds of tropical storm velocity are anticipated.

(b) After winds of the velocity associated with a severe weather event are experienced and have subsided, the Building Official shall investigate to determine if damage has occurred to buildings or other structures.

(c) No building or other structure or assembly or part thereof, which was damaged or collapsed or out of plumb or line shall be repaired or altered or otherwise returned to its original position without inspection and approval by the Building Official.

Pursuant to Chapter 8B, Emergency Management; Section 8B-18 – Requirement To Secure Loose Materials:

A “Loose Object” is any object contained in any outdoor location of any residential, commercial, and industrial property in incorporated and unincorporated Miami-Dade County that may become windborne during a severe weather event including but not limited to outdoor furniture such as chairs and tables, display racks, bicycles, toys, loose debris, bulky waste, gardening supplies, household items, and business or industrial supplies or materials.

When a severe weather advisory is issued for Miami-Dade County or any portion thereof, any loose object as defined herein shall be secured by either:(a)storage of such loose object in a building or structure or(b)bracing, bundling, or fastening such loose object to a fixed structure or otherwise in a manner sufficient to prevent such loose object from becoming windborne during a severe weather event or in such manner determined by the County or municipal official charged with enforcing this requirement that will prevent such loose object from being windborne during a severe weather event.

Pursuant to Chapter 8E – Cranes and Hoisting Equipment; Section 8E – Hurricane Preparedness:

Hoisting Equipment shall abide by all manufacturers’ recommendations relating to hurricane preparedness including any relating to the placement and removal of advertisement banners, the use, and removal of rigging. The Tower crane turntable must be lubricated prior to the event. Mobile cranes with fixed booms must be laid down whenever feasible. Hydraulic cranes must have booms retracted and stored. Any counterweighted hoist must have the counterweight locked below the top tie-in. The Tower crane must be set in the weathervane position. All rigging must be removed from the hoist block. All power at the base of the tower shall be disconnected by a general contractor. A hurricane preparedness plan which conforms with the requirements of this section shall be available at the site for inspection.

Hoisting Equipment shall abide by all manufacturers’ recommendations relating to hurricane preparedness including any relating to the placement and removal of advertisement banners, the use, and removal of rigging. Tower crane turntable must be lubricated prior to the event. Mobile cranes with fixed booms must be laid down whenever feasible. Hydraulic cranes must have booms retracted and stored. Any counterweighted hoist must have the counterweight locked below the top tie-in. Tower crane must be set in the weathervane position. All rigging must be removed from the hoist block. All power at the base of the tower shall be disconnected by a general contractor. A hurricane preparedness plan which conforms with the requirements of this section shall be available at the site for inspection.

Pursuant to Miami Code Section – Sec. 10-9. – Securing of construction sites when under emergency weather warning(s) or watch(es).

(a) All city permit holders are required to secure their construction sites when an emergency warning or watch as it relates to weather phenomena or any other warning or watch for which an unsecured construction site could become detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of the community has been declared affecting the city.

(b) All city permit holders are required to secure the construction sites and surrounding areas as required by the department of resilience and public works from actions including, but not limited to, soil erosion, discharge of water or sediments into the storm drains or waterways, discharge of wastewater from excavations into the storm drains or waterways, and discharge of oils or oil compounds into the storm drains or waterways.

© 2021 City of Miami

(Source: City of Miami, Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances, Announcements)

About WeatherBuild®

Headquartered in Cambridge, MA between Harvard and MIT, WeatherBuild® offers a suite of decision support solutions that empower contractors, owners, and operators to improve situational awareness and make better-informed decisions about weather events, schedule impacts, safety risks, and probable outcomes.

Refer a colleague and enter to win Amazon Gift Cards!

Download WeatherBuild Mobile on the App Store and rate us 5 stars!

Follow WeatherBuild on Twitter at twitter.com/weatherbuild!

Increase productivity. Enhance safety. Manage risk.™

© 2021 Weather Build, Inc. All rights reserved.

“WeatherBuild®”, “Weather Controls®”, and “Decision Support Solutions for the Construction Industry and Built Environment®” are registered trademarks of Weather Build, Inc.

The WeatherBuild “W” logo and app icon, “Construction Command-and-Control™”, “Increase productivity. Enhance safety. Manage risk.™”, “Weather Risk-Adjusted Scheduling™”, “WeatherBuild API™”, “WeatherBuild Basic™”, “WeatherBuild Cloud™”, “WeatherBuild Pro™”, “WeatherBuild Solutions™”, “WeatherBuild Webhooks™” are trademarks of Weather Build, Inc.

###

Join the leading contractors, owners and operators that leverage the WeatherBuild Solutions™ to increase productivity, enhance safety, and manage risk of weather events and schedule impacts.

×