Residents Evacuated From Miami Buildings After Crane Collapse
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Hurricane Irma has led to a precarious situation high above in Miami – a crane is left dangling after the hurricane knocked it loose.
The crane, dangling about 450 feet in the air, is a concerning sight for residents living near a construction area off NE 5th Avenue and 30th Street in Miami.
City of Miami Police and Fire Rescue are asking residents who live at two nearby buildings to voluntarily evacuate.
"It's very unsafe to live here honestly. I wouldn't recommend anyone living here," said Bruno Rebuffo, who's evacuating his apartment.
Chopper4 was over what was believed to be the crane collapse in the afternoon, showing the twisted and mangled structure on the roof.
"I don't know where I'm going. I do have friends. I'm going to call them. But I'm also going to look for a place to stay with animals. I have my dog and my two cats here," said Juliette, who's also evacuating.
Residents living at the Biscayne Breeze Mobile home park in North Miami are also dealing with damage left by the storm. They're just now beginning cleanup efforts after being delayed by knee-deep flooding after Hurricane Irma.
"We're moving all of the trees away from the street. All the trees fell as you can see on the street, the poles from the light," said Rebecca Sarmiento, who's dealing with the cleanup.
On Miami Beach nearly 100,000 residents who evacuated before Hurricane Irma were allowed to return Tuesday morning. The city officially re-opened to residents, business owners and tourists alike.
"I'm very, very happy and relieved that nothing was broken," said David Trujeo after checking out his place.
At a news conference at the Miami-Dade Emergency Operations Center, Mayor Carlos Gimenez says he took an aerial tour of the county to assess the damage. The mayor says about 60 percent of traffic signals are not working.
Although he's lifted the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, he wants residents to be careful out on the roads, especially when encountering a downed power line. He's also asking people to stay out of the water.
"The state of Florida Department of Health has issued a swimming advisory for all Miami-Dade county beaches and open waters. Please stay out of the water until further notice," said Mayor Gimenez.
Mayor Gimenez wants to stress that the water advisory is not for tap water. He says that's safe to drink. The advisory is for beaches and open water.
Mayor Gimenez says he hopes to have all roads cleared by the end of the weekend.