Back-to-back hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico in the late summer damaged vessels, tested contingency plans and caused extended port shutdowns. But authorities say impacts from hurricanes Harvey and Irma will likely be measured in months rather than years.
Although it approached Florida as a Category 5 storm, Hurricane Irma caused limited damage to the state’s 14 public ports when it made landfall in early September, according to Doug Wheeler, president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council.
Texas wasn’t as lucky. Strong winds and unprecedented rainfall from Hurricane Harvey in late August closed key ports in Houston and Corpus Christi for days, delaying shipments of oil, chemicals and other products worth tens of millions of dollars. Shipping channels required dredging in some places, and much of that work was ongoing as of mid-October.
In most cases, shipping resumed within a week after the storm, albeit with draft restrictions, oneway transits and other limitations that also continued into October in some areas, including the busy oil port at Corpus Christi.
“I don’t think there is a permanent issue,” said Jim Kruse, director of the Center for Ports & Waterways at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. “Nothing got damaged to the point where it won’t recover. It’s maybe as long as a five- or six-month impact. We have been through several hurricanes and tropical storms, but what made this different was it was so widespread. There was so much water everywhere.”
Hurricane Harvey made landfall north of Corpus Christi on Aug. 25 as a Category 4 storm, causing at least a dozen vessels to break away or run aground near Port Aransas (see story on page 33). The Port of Corpus Christi closed on Aug. 24 and remained that way for a record six days. Many of the region’s refineries also shut down for a time after losing power.
Denne historien er fra December/January 2018-utgaven av Professional Mariner.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December/January 2018-utgaven av Professional Mariner.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Mariner's role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Mariners’ role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Piracy edges closer to home with wave of raids in southern Gulf
In the brief cellphone video recorded by a crewmember on the offshore supply vessel (OSV) Remas, the pirates walk back and forth on the deck of the ship, clenching their guns and using them to point as they order around the crew. Their faces are draped in clothing and bandanas.
Casualties
NTSB: Dredge hit Texas gas pipeline, causing fire that killed four
IMO emissions report raises new concerns about methane slip
A recent report from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reveals that global shipping emissions increased nearly 10 percent from 2012 to 2018, with the industry facing a growing challenge concerning methane slip.
Bay State brothers find industry niche by making old into new
Zero non-conformities is what you want to hear when the U.S. Coast Guard inspects your tugboat. Once you’ve prepared your vessel, the inspectors come aboard to peruse your paperwork. They ask you pointed questions, to which they expect straightforward answers. Perusal completed, they then scrutinize all of the related safety systems, from bilge to antennas — even the ship’s bell.
Signals
A year into the pandemic, thousands ‘essentially indentured’ on ships
Analysis points to faulty loading, low ballast in Golden Ray rollover
While the salvage of the sunken vehicle carrier Golden Ray has been delayed for months due to COVID-19 and the hurricane season, analysis by the U.S. Coast Guard has determined a possible cause for the rollover: a combination of vehicles placed too high on the ship’s decks, and not enough ballast water gave the placement of the cargo.
Seastreak newcomer pushing through dip in demand
Two years ago, Seastreak LLC took delivery of Seastreak Commodore, a 600-passenger fast ferry, from Gulf Craft of Franklin, La. Designed by Australia-based Incat Crowther, the vessel is the largest of its kind in the United States and was built to meet the burgeoning demand for service in the New York-New Jersey market.
New year in a new world: Navigating COVID's maritime realities
In a matter of days, the decorative time balls will drop, “Auld Lang Syne” will fill the air, and ships at anchor will sound their horns as the world welcomes in the new year.
Advanced props, rudders provide new efficiencies below the waterline
It took a decade or two from the invention of the marine propeller in the 19th century for the technology to become widely accepted. Thereafter, adoption has been nearly universal, but progress toward improved efficiencies has come in fits and starts.
