Saturday storms damage four Port of Charleston cranes
Officials with the South Carolina State Ports Authority say four cranes at the Wando Welch Terminal were damaged Saturday night because of storms, live5news reports.
According to the SCSPA, winds with estimated speeds of 70 mph, blew a super post-Panamax crane, which struck another crane.
The resulting chain reaction damaged two other cranes. There were no operators in the cranes and no injuries were reported.
A press release by the SCSPA states that a response team is onsite to clean up hydraulic fluid that leaked from the cranes, and no fluid entered the harbor.
An engineering firm is expected to take a look at the cranes and determine the extent of the damage. Officials with the SCSPA say that it could take between one and three months to get the cranes operational based on initial estimates.
Spokeswoman Allison Skipper said there are currently seven super post-Panamax cranes that are fully functional.
"We will make adjustments as needed," Skipper said. "Just as we have in the past relocating cranes or installing or load testing new cranes at the dock."
The SCSPA says 74 containers were impacted by high winds as well with the damaged boxes being placed in the container yard.