SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed has issued an emergency declaration as the city balances recovering from the last storm and prepping for the next.
The last storm left broken glass scattered across city streets after windows from six high rises gave way to strong winds and trees came crashing down, killing two people.
City officials are advising residents to stay home during the peak of Tuesday’s storm. The emergency declaration gave the city more resources to clean up downed trees from last week and to inspect any windows that may have issues.
The emergency declaration gives departments more resources and authority to clean up and prevent more deaths and damage from occurring.
"Over 900 of trees or large branches that fell. We have our crews with public works and the fire department addressing all those trees,” said Mary Ellen Carroll, Department of Emergency Management executive director.
Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin said he asked the mayor to add a provision giving the Department of Building Inspection more authority.
"The director of the Department of Building Inspection may require a facade inspection and/or inspection report regarding any building at a time or interval the director deems unsafe caused by winter storms,” said Peskin.
Six San Francisco high rises have broken windows after high winds roared through the downtown area. Each building received a violation ordering them to fix the window as soon as possible and submit an engineering report within 14 days.
"That will give us some understanding as to what's going on here. There will probably be a host of reasons. I don't think it's just the high winds,” said Peskin.
Under current city building code, Peskin said buildings do not have to complete inspection reports for 30 years after being built. Peskin is trying to make sure windows are inspected more frequently.
“This is a warning sign to SF, that we have got to comprehensively address our window systems in all of our high rises, which there are about 1,600. I am in the midst of introducing a law that will be introduced April 4th, but it's going to take time,” said Peskin.
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The next storm is just hours away.
"There is nothing we can do in a matter of hours or days to prevent window failures. My suggestion, that while the chances are small in high wind events, people be careful and stay indoors in the downtown area,” said Peskin.
The same advice was provided by the Department of Emergency Management.
“The nature of the storms we are seeing, what we saw last Tuesday and what we could see tomorrow are unlike anything we have seen before. Stay inside just until the storm passes. That is the best thing you can do to keep yourself safe and the rest of the city safe,” said Carroll.
The Fire and Building Inspection Department has been providing tips to building managers on how to properly latch and secure windows during storms like this.
In the event of a medical emergency, call 9-1-1. For non-emergency storm-related damage, call 3-1-1.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/HGrfp9v
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