Katrina impacting all transport modes along Gulf Coast
In addition to the immediate impact of extensive loss of life along the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina, the transportation system is facing challenges expected to last from weeks to months.
The storm has shut down seaport and airports, swamped the main Interstate highway along the coast, disrupted rail traffic from the West Coast and East coasts, and will impact diverse elements of the economy.
Hurricane Katrina, described by the police chief in Biloxi, Miss. As 'our tsunami,' caused devastating flooding in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle, and continuing tropical storm-level rains and winds will impact the area north into Tennessee and Georgia.
Port activities have been shut down at New Orleans; Gulfport and Pascagoula, Miss.; Mobile, Ala.; and Pensacola, Fla. In addition, it has blocked access from the key bulk shipping center of the Port of Southern Louisiana, at Baton Rouge, La.
New Orleans is the only port city served by Class I railroads from the West Coast (Union Pacific and BNSF Railway) and the East Coast (CSX and Norfolk Southern). All those railroads have had to stop service into the immediate area.
Meanwhile, CSX and Norfolk Southern are seeing impacts into their larger operations in the Southeast. Flooding and wind damage will require those rail carriers to carefully check their track networks for blockages from downed trees and other debris, a process likely to take days even north of the flooded areas.
The U.S. Coast Guard had to move its operations center from New Orleans to St. Louis on a temporary basis. The Coast Guard has established a Web page for hurricane news, http://www.uscgstormwatch.com, but its immediate focus is on rescue operations, rather than just harbor safety. The Coast Guard is recommending shippers contact their individual ocean and air carriers for details on service status and alternatives.
Federal Emergency Management Agency director Mike Brown said the flooding and power outages could prevent New Orleans residents from returning for weeks and possibly months. Exactly how long it may take for normal commerce to resume remains to be seen.