Recovery Updates - Morning Report
FPL:
FPL has addressed the 13 sites the City provided where downed or low power lines were in fallen trees blocking the right of way, consistent with part of the City's request. There are still numerous other instances of downed or low power lines that need to be addressed, as they pose a hazard and delay the restoration of power. The City is working with FPL to ensure these are known about and addressed by FPL.
The City has been informed that FPL has moved its date for full power restoration in Coral Gables, and South Dade generally, to Tuesday, September 19. The City has been informing residents of the Sunday, September 17 date based on the commitment provided by FPL.
At this time, the City will continue to request that FPL restores all power to Coral Gables by the Sunday at 11:45 p.m. date and time as per the letter sent to them yesterday.
Debris Removal:
The City has been actively clearing blocked roadways since daybreak on Monday September 11, as of this time all major thoroughfares are passable and 170,000 cubic yards of debris have been set aside for collection.
This Saturday morning, 25-30 contractor and City trucks began to mobilize to haul debris. The 72nd Avenue Public Works facility is the main debris management site. Additional trucks will be FEMA-certified and operational as needed.
The debris will be chipped and processed according to FEMA best practices. Two large volume grinding/chipping machines have been procured, and a third is lined up to expedite processing. All three machines will be fully operational by next week.
The initial citywide cleanup is expected to take three weeks. To compare, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina clean-up efforts surpassed $9 million and took nearly three months. The 2005 Hurricane Wilma clean-up efforts surpassed $12 million and took over two months.
It is critical that the City comply with FEMA requirements related to debris monitoring, management, data collection, record keeping etc. in order to qualify for millions of dollars in federal reimbursements. The City, as well as our monitoring and debris removal contractors, has identified contingency resources if needed as the debris removal and hauling operation progresses.
Garbage:
Sanitation collection crews are working through today completing any missed areas. Garbage collection volume is extremely high. Please make sure garbage bins and bagged garbage is visible from the street and very accessible for the collection crew. Collection routes and times will take longer due to the very high volume of garbage, traffic conditions, and longer than usual lines at disposal sites. We appreciate your patience.
Services:
The Coral Gables Branch Library is open today Saturday, September 16, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and will reopen on Sunday. It will resume regular operating hours starting on Monday.
Traffic Lights:
- Ponce de Leon /LeJeune Rd /Grand Av . still out;
- US1 / Granada Blvd still out;
- 22 traffic light signals are still inoperative;
- Cones or barricades are in placed at these intersections to remind drivers to make it a 4-way stop when a traffic light is out.
Help for Seniors:
The Adult Activity Center (ACC) and the War Memorial Youth Center are both open this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, to welcome seniors that still don't have electricity and may be looking for a cool place to stay until power is restored. The ACC is open both days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Youth Center opens Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please enter the Youth Center through the side entrance door since the front entrance is closed until further notice. The Youth Center is available for other age groups as well and will have Wi-Fi, the gym for basketball, fitness center, the playground, and the outdoor court open. The gymnastics programs will be starting. The Youth Room will be open for movies, games, lounging, etc. Toddler sitting will start at 12 noon to 4 p.m. (toddlers must be 18 months or older, and potty trained.)
Sign up for Notifications:
If you know of anyone that is not receiving communications from the City, please encourage them to sign up to enews at
www.coralgables.com, or follow us on Facebook (
www.facebook.com/cityofcoralgables), Twitter @citycoralgables, or download the In-telligent app at
www.in-telligent.com. We want to ensure everyone is in the know about what we're doing the help you recover from Hurricane Irma. Please share this information with your friends and neighbors and help them get connected to us.
Curfew:
Currently, there is no curfew imposed in the City of Coral Gables or in Miami-Dade County.
Thank you for your Patience!
#GablesStrong