Face of Nation : Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency issued an evacuation order Monday evening to some business and 30 residents who live near a crane that collapsed Saturday amidst a powerful post-tropical storm “to remove them from present and imminent danger.”
The order applies to several properties in the vicinity of South Park Street in downtown Halifax. “This is still not a safe place,” said Dave Meldrum, deputy chief with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency. “The crane that is in position is not secure. There are multiple possible failure points.”
Meldrum said several tonnes of steel and weights are under tension and compression, there are several broken steel members, and there is at least one pin that holds the crane together that is clearly not secure. He said the crane is being held in place by gravity.
Hurricane Dorian approached the region as a Category 2 hurricane and made landfall near Halifax on Saturday evening as a post-tropical storm with hurricane-strength winds. In a news release, the municipality said the decision is being issued for reasons of protecting the health, safety and welfare of the residents.
The decision follows advice from a meeting held Monday afternoon with structural engineers and representatives from Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour and Advanced Education, Halifax Regional Police, Transportation and Public Works, and the affected property owners.
The evacuation order is in effect immediately and will continue until the situation can be stabilized and risks to residents and businesses can be mitigated. Meldrum said he does not know how long the evacuation will last, but he estimates it could be days, if not weeks.
Gray said he didn’t bring his computer home before the storm and many of his files are in the office. “I can tell you it’s going to complicate things,” Gray said.
Gray said the pair will have to talk to the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society on Tuesday to figure out the next steps. “I’m going to have to talk to lawyers on the other side of files that I’ve got and say, ‘Look, I don’t know what to tell you. The whole country saw what happened to my office,'” he said.
