South Louisiana River and Coastal Ports: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina

The authors conducted a weeklong field assessment of damage to selected South Louisiana river and coastal port facilities resulting from the Hurricane Katrina event of August 29, 2005. Based on review of available data and internal team discussions, the assessment focused on four river ports and three coastal ports believed to have received damage from the event. The field assessment, consisting of site observations and discussions with port or terminal facility personnel, was conducted from October 17–21, 2005 — seven weeks after the event. The assessment focused on preparation, response, and recovery activities of the affected ports, with an eye toward identifying "lessons learned" that could be beneficially applied or implemented to mitigate impacts from future such events. The key lessons learned include: (1) communications were inhibited by lack of reliable back-up systems to maintain reliable, open channels; (2) stockpiling of emergency materials, such as fuel for standby power generation, is a necessary measure; (3) locating critical equipment, such as communications, controls, and power supply, above flooding levels to maximize survival; and (4) providing organized evacuation policies and procedures for port staff, including post-event communications and logistics to enable quicker recovery of operations.