Construction sites on East Coast brace for hurricane Florence

ConDig (11-Sept-18).  Construction sites on the US East Coast are preparing for the potentially devastating impact of a powerful hurricane set to make landfall later this week, while safety groups have also issued warnings to contractors to secure sites ahead of possible high winds and flooding.

Work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline by Mountain Valley Contracting, for example, ground to a halt as Hurricane Florence barreled towards areas like Southwest Virginia.

Mountain Valley Contracting said that it was taking all possible precautions in Virginia to ensure the safety of its crews and communities, as well as to protect and maintain erosion and sediment controls along the 303-mile pipeline’s right-of-way.

It comes as the National Hurricane Center updated Florence to a category 4 storm that will produce extremely dangerous conditions for land in its path. The storm was schedule to make landfall in North Carolina or South Carolina on Thursday.

Safety experts have warned that risk at a construction site increases during powerful weather events because of equipment, tools, and materials on site. These can turn into projectiles in wind storms and can be the cause of fires. Damage to equipment or materials can also increase the costs of a disaster significantly.

Construction projects on the East Coast also potentially face power outages and delays to deliveries of materials if the road and rail networks are impacted.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a warning to last week to emergency crews and residents of the Gulf Coast region of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi faced with debris caused by Tropical Storm Gordon to be aware of hazards they may encounter and take steps to stay safe.

“Workers involved in storm cleanup can face a range of safety and health hazards,” said OSHA regional administrator Kurt Petermeyer. “Risks can be minimized with knowledge, safe work practices, and personal protective equipment.”

Cleanup work after a storm can involve hazards related to restoring electricity and communications, debris cleanup, roof repair, and tree trimming.

OSHA said that only those with the proper training, equipment, and experience should conduct cleanup activities.

In 2017 alone, hurricanes did more than $265 billion in damage in the US.

Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area last September and caused widespread flooding. Estimates for the cost of Hurricane Harvey’s damage range from $65 billion to $190 billion and could end up being one of the most expensive disasters in US history.

The destruction from Hurricane Irma, which caused widespread damage across Florida and into Georgia and South Carolina during the same month last year, cost between $50 billion and $100 billion.