Hurricane Dorian: Builders rush to secure Palm Beach construction sites to prevent flying debris

While forecasters have been scrambling over the past few days to help pinpoint where Hurricane Dorian might wallop Florida’s east coast, contractors in Palm Beach were taking no chances.

By mid-week, crews were busy securing dozens of job sites across the island, where residential construction and remodeling has become almost a spectator sport, especially on the North End.

Builders told the Daily News they had twin goals in mind as they readied for possible effects from Dorian. They wanted to batten down any loose construction materials and debris to prevent winds from scooping them up and causing damage on site and to neighboring properties.

But they also wanted to protect buildings under construction from water intrusion by sealing up any openings.

“We actually have a whole set of procedures that guide us,” said builder Jim Woolems, who heads Woolems Inc. and has built on the island for 40 years. “All of our superintendents and project managers are well versed in what to do.”

Depending on the individual property, the status of construction and the contracting firm’s preferences, the list might include shrink-wrapping pallets of bricks or cast-stone elements; removing portable toilets, Dumpsters and equipment; dismantling and bundling scaffolding planks; dealing with loose roof tiles; and tying down construction trailers. Contractors also might install plywood in windows, doors and garage openings to seal a house so that items could safely be stored inside.

The staff at Town Hall was also taking no chances. The town code doesn’t technically require construction crews to swing into action until an official storm watch has been issued. But on Wednesday — before a hurricane watch was issued for South Florida — building officials distributed notices to contractors detailing just what steps they must take to prepare properties for Dorian’s wind and rain. Those who failed the task could face penalties, according to the code.

“We issued this yesterday and will visit the construction sides over the next two days” to monitor progress, Assistant Planning, Zoning and Building Director Wayne Bergman said Thursday morning. “The goal is to make certain that all sites are safe and secure by Friday late afternoon.”

The notice demanded that “all construction materials, including roof tiles and debris on all building and construction sites within the town shall be secured, stored or removed so as not to create a safety hazard.”

If town officials discover that site haven’t been adequately prepared, “the town may take whatever emergency action it deems necessary” to secure the site and then bill the property owner for the expense, the notice said.

Meanwhile, it was far from business as usual in the Planning, Zoning and Building Department at Town Hall, where a sign Thursday alerted contractors that no building inspections would be performed Friday “due to Hurricane Dorian.”

Woolems said his crews on the island expected to finish all of their construction-site security measures by noon Friday so that his workers would have time to prepare their own homes for the storm.

Among the major headaches accompanying storm preparation is dealing with uninstalled roof tiles that have already been placed on a roof, said Woolems. His preferred protocol, he said, is to have the roofing subcontractor remove any loose tiles and take them back to the subcontractor’s own facility.

Gene Parker, chief operation officer and president of luxury residential at Hedrick Brothers Construction, said that in some cases, heavy-duty netting, which allows wind to pass through, can also be installed on a roof to hold loose tiles in place.

Newly installed doors and windows might be removed and stored to protect them, with the openings sealed by other means, Parker said. Crews also sometimes cover already-installed windows and doors with a heavy-duty plastic to protect them from sand abrasion.

“That’s important for the homes that are right on the ocean,” Parker said.

>>RELATED: Everything you need to know to prepare for the storm

In the same way, new plants and trees brought to a property must also be secured if they aren’t already in the ground, Woolems said. Crews also might remove work files and computers from work trailers before they vacate the secured site.

As the contractor for the under-construction town recreation center on Seaview Avenue, Hedrick Brothers also worked to secure that site.

Preparing construction sites for a storm is a matter of course for responsible contractors who do business on the island, Woolems added.

“You do it at your own expense. That’s (a trade-off for) the privilege of being able to build these lovely homes in Palm Beach,” he said.

dhofheinz@pbdailynews.com

@PBDN_hofheinz