Chainsaw-Wielding Nun Gets in on Irma Cleanup

Photo Credit: Miami-Dade Police Department
Photo Credit: Miami-Dade Police Department
By
Writer

In one of the more lighthearted moments to come out of the Hurricane Irma recovery effort in Florida, an off-duty Miami-Dade County police officer captured you-have-to-see-to-believe-it video a nun expertly tending to a downed tree with… a chainsaw.

The Miami-Dade County Police Department shared the now viral moment on social media on Tuesday, praising Sister Margaret Ann for her “action” and thanking all those in the community who are doing their part to get Miami back up and running.

READ: Faith-Based Orgs are Playing a Massive Role in the Hurricane Relief Efforts

“Sister Margaret Ann in action,” the MDPD Twitter account captioned the clip. “Thank you to all of our neighbors that are working together to get through this! We are #MiamiDadeStrong.”

Dressed in her full habit and armed with work gloves and her trusty chainsaw, the Orlando Sentinel reported that the sister works at Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School in southwest Miami-Dade County and was just pitching in to clean up the neighborhood after it suffered severe wind damage in the weekend storm. On Tuesday, it was announced that Catholic schools in the area will remain closed until further notice.

While we all admire Sr. Margaret Ann’s gusto, the Sentinel did offer a few safety tips for other industrious, chainsaw-wielding Floridians:

  • If a tree is uprooted or downed, it can create an unnatural pattern of pressure points and tension.
  • A chainsaw operator may be in severe danger if attempting to cut a tensioned limb or trunk (called a “spring pole”) – it may have an extremely violent, catapult-like reaction.
  • If branches are too close or touching utility lines, report immediately to your local utility company. NEVER attempt to move downed utility lines.
  • Do not undertake any task for which you have not been properly trained to handle or are uncomfortable undertaking.

(H/T: People)