Orlando construction sites secured ahead of Irma

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - With Irma closing-in on Central Florida, Orlando construction sites are racing to tie everything down.

Orlando is a growing metropolis, which is bad news during a hurricane. Construction sites full of equipment sit in the open downtown, with cranes looming high above. At today's emergency briefing, Mayor Buddy Dyer said these sites will stay safe.

“Construction companies themselves are responsible for securing them and we've been assured that all the potential loose debris has been secured,” Dyer said.

The downtown Dr. Philips Center is holding-off on pouring its new foundation because of the storm. Dyer said the cranes will swing back and forth in the wind, but everything else should have been held down or removed.

“I understand they leave them loose so they can go like weathervanes in the wind,” Dyer said.

Irma's high winds may strike these sites hard, impacting downtown buildings. But no evacuations are ordered for downtown Orlando, the high rises there are built to stand 165 mile per hour winds.