|
|
Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management Newsletter Website |
|
| |
October
2005
Volume
9 - Number 1 |
|
Coast guards efforts during hurricane Katrina Being the most deadly and destructive hurricane in
the United States’ history, hurricane Katrina’s rescue and relief efforts
were significantly needed in the immediate aftermath. With the National Response
Plan activated, Coast Guard, whose mission is to protect the public, the environment,
and U.S. economic interests – in the nation’s ports and waterways, along
the coast, on international waters, or in any maritime region as required
to support national security was among the first rescuers in the Gulf coast
region.
Coast Guard air and boat crews assisted in the rescue of more than 4,000 people, and Coast Guardsmen were assisting in the evacuation of victims and survivors at the Superdome. A total of around 4,000 Coast Guardsmen were working on the first days in the affected areas along the Gulf coast on response and recovery efforts. This number includes 15 Coast Guard cutters, 37 airplanes and rescue helicopters, 63 small boats, three maritime safety and security teams, and three oil and hazardous material response teams. Their relief efforts were prioritized in the first days by the evacuation of hospitals’ patients in affected areas. In addition, Coast Guard was working very closely with FEMA to deliver food and water to stranded survivors and assure them shelters. With the catastrophic devastation caused by the hurricane, Coast Guard planned waterways management and environmental cleanup operations along the Gulf Coast. Today, three weeks after the hurricane, the Coast Guard and other agencies are able to tackle environmental problems since the search and rescue effort is winding down. In fact, hurricane Katrina caused 44 oil spills ranging from several hundred gallons to nearly 4 million gallons with the biggest one on the Mississippi river. The Coast Guard estimates more than 7 million gallons of oil were spilled from industrial plants, storage depots and other facilities around southeast Louisiana. Coast Guard Crews had recovered or naturally dispersed a total of 7.1 million gallons and had discharged another 7.4 million gallons from tank storage facilities. According to the Coast Guard, there are currently a total of 768 contractors responding to the 11 major and medium spills and monitoring four sites where gross cleanup is no longer necessary. They are utilizing 59 skimmers, 28 storage barges and 100,000 feet of boom are on site or being used. In addition, pollution response experts from Coast Guard Sector Mobile Incident Command entered the Mississippi State Forensics Laboratory in full protective gear to canvas the area for hazardous material threats. In general, the coast guard efforts during the aftermath of hurricane Katrina were significant and for the most part positively perceived especially after the resignation of the FEMA director Mike Brown over his poor response plan to hurricane Katrina. Vice Admiral Thad Allen, the Coast Guard's chief of staff, who has been leading FEMA's mission along the Gulf Coast, promised to do his best in the relief and recovery effort in the region. Sources: http://www.uscg.mil/KATRINA/index.shtm http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4777 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9365607/ |