THIS IS OF THE WIND AND RAIN
COMING IN IN WEST PERRINE.
WE HEARD FROM MIA AND WE
WANT TO TAKE YOU UP NORTH TO
BROWARD AND FORT LAUDERDALE.
WE HAVE GREG MEYER ON THE, THE
SPOKESMAN.
ARE YOU WITH, MR. MEYER?
YES, I AM.
Reporter: YOU CAN GIVE US
AN UPDATE FOR WHEN OPERATIONS
WILL RESUME?
THAT'S THE MILLION DOLLAR
QUESTION.
WE HAVE A DAMAGE A ASSESSMENT
SCENE THROUGH THE SPHIED OF THE
TERMINAL.
WE CAN'T EVALUATE THE INNER
PORTIONS UNTIL WE CAN EVALUATE
THE RUNWAYS AND AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROL CONCERNS AND MAKE SURE
THAT THE TOWER'S IN GOOD SHAPE
AND THE FENCING SYSTEM AROUND
THE AIRPORT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF
US, AND WE'RE OPTIMISTIC WE CAN
OPEN SOON LIKE OUR PARTNERS TO
THE SOUTH.
BUT WE ARE NOT READY TO COMMIT
TO THE EXACT DAY OR TIME.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE
FOR THE EMPLOYEES TO COME OUT
TO THE AIRPORT AND DO WHAT THEY
NEED TO DO IN PREPARATION FOR
THE ARRIVAL OF PASSENGERS.
Reporter: IT'S A HUGE JOB
AND I KNOW IT'S GOOD THAT YOU
ARE BEING HONEST TELLING THEM
THAT YOU CAN'T GIVE THEM THE
COMMITMENT OR A DATE AND YOU
DON'T WANT TO ANYONE.
WHO KNOWS WHAT LIES AHEAD?
EXACTLY.
WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO COME
OUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THE A
COMPENSATIONS OR IF THE AIR
CONDITIONING IS NOT WORKING
PROPERLY.
WE KNOW WE HAD FLOODING DAMAGE
AND WE HAD SOME OF THE AIR
CONDITIONING UNITS IMPACTED.
WE ARE TRYING TO WORK ON THAT
NOW BUT IT'S STILL VERY, VERY
WINDY, AND SAFETY IS THE
PRIORITY.
WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE BATTEN DOWN
IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
CENTER, AND STILL THEY WERE
DOING WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE
AN AREA TO OPERATE BUT WE ARE
NOT READY TO COMMIT.
Reporter: WE SPOKE, GREG ,
WE SPOKE WITH YOUR COUNTERPART
MR. CHIN AT MIA.
TOO SOON TO FINISH THERE WAS
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OR WATER
DAMAGE THAT MIGHT AFFECT THE RE-
OPENING?
WE DO HAVE WATER DAMAGE
INSIDE AND ROOF LEAKS.
WE HAVE THE AIRPORT DIRECTOR
AND DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS.
SEVERAL PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH
THE STRUCTURE INSIDE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY JUST GAVE ME AN UPDATE
TELLING ME THAT THEY DID HAVE
WATER DAMAGE.
BUT WE ARE NOT SEEING BROKEN
WINDOWS FROM THE INSIDE YET.
WE HAVE RUNWAY LIGHTING, AND WE
HAVE JET BRIDGES THAT WERE TIED
DOWN PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF
IRMA.
AND ALL THAT STUFF HAS TO BE
ASSESSED AND EVALUATED.
WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF GROUND
SAFETY EQUIPMENT TAKEN OFF THE
AIR FIELD AND PUT IN THE
PARKING GARAGE AREA.
IT'S A MAJOR UNDERTAKING.
WE ARE READY FOR THE TASK.
WE HAVE DEALT WITH IT BEFORE.
AND HEY, AS SOON AS WE CAN SAY
WE ARE READY FOR BUSINESS,
WE'LL LET THE WORLD KNOW.
Reporter: TODAY WAS REALLY
THE BIG DAY THAT EVERYONE WAS
ANTICIPATING ALL THE ANXIETY TO
TODAY AND THAT'S WHEN WE SAW
THE MOST ACTION.
CAN YOU GO OVER THE LAST WEEK
WITH US AND HOW PASSENGERS ARE
STRANDED OR HOW YOU DEALT WITH
THAT?
YEAH.
IT WAS A BIG UNDERTAKING.
WE ARE TRYING TO GET AS MANY
FLIGHTS OUT AS POSSIBLE.
WE HAD DAILY BRIEFINGS,
TELECONFERENCES.
IF YOU COULD ATTEND, ATTEND.
IF NOT, OTHERS CALLED IN.
YOU WERE ALL REPORTING THAT OUR
PARKING STRUCTURE FILLED UP ON
THURSDAY.
WE COULD NOT ACCEPT ANY MORE
CARS WHICH WAS FRUSTRATING FOR
US AND PEOPLE TRYING TO TRAVEL.
AND AS WE CLOSED DOWN AND THE
LAST PLANE WENT OUT AT 8:30,
AND WE HAD TO BATTEN DOWN THE
HATCH, AND THEN SIT AND WAIT.
WE HAD 64 PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP
AT THE AIRPORT, AND FOR
WHATEVER RELATIONSHIP, THEIR
FLIGHT WAS CANCELED.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO GO OR
THEY THOUGHT THE AIRPORT WAS A
SHELTER WHICH THE NOT.
-- IT IS NOT.
BUT WE TOOK CARE OF THEM AND
GOT THEM TO A SAFE AREA.
THE AIRPORT IS NOT A SAFE PLACE
TO GO WITH ALL THE GLASS WITH A
CATEGORY 4 OR 5 BEARING DOWN
ON.
Reporter: YOU WERE NOT THE
ONLY AIRPORT COMPLAINING ABOUT
BEING A SHELTER.
AND GREG CHIN AT MIA SAID
THEY WERE HOPING BY TUESDAY,
THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, THEY
WOULD START TO RECEIVE FLIGHTS
AND HAVE SOME FLIGHTS ON A
LIMITED SCHEDULE DEPART FROM
MIA.
CAN YOU GIVE US ANDndCATION IF
THAT'S A REALISTIC TIMETABLE
FOR FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD?
EVEN A LIMITED SCHEDULE, WHEN
DO YOU THINK YOU COULD GET THIS
GOING?
AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE AN
IDEAL SITUATION AND WE DON'T
KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW, AND
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO SEND OUT
THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM.
WE HAVE FLOODING ON THE WEST
END OF OUR NORTH RUNWAY, AND WE
HAVE TO MAKE SURE -- WE CAN'T
FLY AT HIGH TIDE.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
100% READY.
IDEALLY, TUESDAY, SURE.
BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO
BE REVIEWED YET.
I WILL COME BACK TO YOU IN 12
HOURS, MAYBE.
Reporter: DO YOU PERCEIVE A
RAMP UPSTARTING ON A LIMITED
SCHEDULE AND ADDING MORE
FLIGHTS EACH DAY?
IS THAT REALISTIC?
YES.
WE WILL RAMP UP SLOWLY, AND
THEY ARE ALL CHOMPING AT THE
BIT TO COME IN, AND LIKE I
SAID, THEY HAVE CONFERENCE
CALLS EVERY DAY.
I AM NOT READY TO COMMIT TO A
TIME YET.
Reporter: THAT'S FAIR
ENOUGH.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT A SHOOTING
THERE THAT HAD THE IMPACT ON
OUR COMMUNITY AND NOW WE HAD A
HURRICANE COMING OUR WAY.
A LOT OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE DEALT
WITH.
ONE YOU COULD PLAN FOR AND ONE,
NOT SO MUCH.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT LESSONS?
WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WHAT
WE EXPERIENCED.
WE ARE CONSTANTLY TRAINING AND
PREPARING AND TRYING TO
ANTICIPATE WHAT IS COMING OUR
WAY.
WE DO THE HURRICANE THING ON
THE ROUTINE BASIS.
THE OTHER INCIDENT THAT WE HAD
EARLIER, FOR INSTANCE, THE
JANUARY INCIDENT.
NOBODY IS REALLY PREPARED FOR
THAT DESPITE ALL THE RAINING
AND PREPARATION.
THE HURRICANE THING IS
SOMETHING WE CAN GO BACK
THROUGH THE DIFFERENT PROCESSS.
AND THERE WAS A TIMELINE THAT.
AND WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT AS AN
AIRPORT OPERATOR.
BUT IT'S A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS THE SAFETY
OF THE EMPLOYEES AT THE AIRPORT
AND THE SAFETY OF THE TRAVELING
PUBLIC.
WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN
OUR POWER TO MAKE SURE ANYONE
WHO COMES IS SAFE.
Reporter: GREG, MANY
PEOPLE, AND INCLUDEING MY OPEN
FAMILY, WANT TO COME BACK HOME
AND SEE THEIR HOUSES AND FAMILY
MEMBERS.
THAT PROCESS WILL GO THROUGH
ALL THESE AIRPORTS, WHAT KIND
OF STAFF DO YOU HAVE THERE?
WHAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE YOU
LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF
HARNESSING THIS EFFORT TO GET
BACK UP AND RUNNING?
JUST SO PEOPLE HAVE AN IDEA OF
HOW BIG OF A JOB THAT IS AND
HOW PREPARED YOU ARE FOR IT.
THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT HAS
500 EMPLOYEES AND 16,000
EMPLOYEES THAT WORK IN THE
AIRPORT IN SOME CAPACITY, AND
WE HAD MORE THAN 12,000 CARS
PARKED IN THE GARAGE STRUCTURE
AND THE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS
DROPPED OFF THROUGH UBER AND
LYFT AND WE HAVE A DAUNTING
TASK AHEAD OF US MAKING SURE
THAT EVERYONE SHOWS UP AT THE
RIGHT TIME.
YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE SHOWING
UP TOO EARLY.
AND ON TUESDAY, WE HAVE FOUR
CREWSSHIPS COMING INTO PORT
EVER DPLAIDS.
I AM NOT SURE WHAT MIAMI HAS IN
STORE BUT WE WERE NOT TOLD THAT
WE HAVE FOUR CRUISE SHIPS
COMING OUR WAY.
BUT WE WILL HANDLE IT AND DOT
BEST WE CAN.
Reporter: UH, THE CRUISE
SHIP, HAS ANYONE GOTTEN TO THE
CRUISE SHIP AND SAID WE ARE NOT
READY?
WELL, WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO
DO IS UPLOAD AT THE PORT AND WE
WON'T HAVE AIRCRAFT READY TO
TAKE THEM HOME.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE PARTNERS
FOR PORT EVERGLADES TO
ACCOMMODATE THIS CHALLENGE.
WE ARE READY AND WE HAVE
EXPERIENCED WORST THINGS IN THE
PAST.
Reporter: I ASKED THE
SPOKESPERSON FOR MIA THIS AS
WELL, BUT WHAT IS THE MESSAGE
FOR PEOPLE ANXIOUSLY WAITING
FOR TRIPS TO OR FROM YOUR
AIRPORT?
I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE
TO COMMUNITY WITH THEIR AIRLINE
THROUGH THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
AND THE AIRLINES' WEBSITE ABOUT
WHAT FLIGHTS WILL BE DONE FIRST
AND ENCOURAGE ALL OF THEM TO
DIRECTLY COMMUNITY.
CHECK US OUT ON TWITTER AND WE
WILL BE GETTING OUT AS MUCH
INFORMATION AS WE CAN.
WE ARE MANAGING IT AS WE HAVE
THEY WITH CAN WITH THE EOC.
PEOPLE FEED INFORMATION AND --
NEED INFORMATION AND WE WANT
THEM TO KNOW WHAT WE KNOW.
Reporter: AND YOU HAVE TO
DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO KEEP
EVERYONE SAFE.
GREG MEYER, THANK YOU SO
MUCH AND BEST OF LUCK TO YOUR
TEAM AS YOU TRY AND GET THE
AIRPORT BACK UP AND RUNNING.