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Resources for Hurricane Florence Report 1

U.S. Department of Transportation
Hurricane Preparation Highlights Report 1

U.S. DOT Updates by Operating Administration:

The Department’s Crisis Management Center (CMC) monitors on-going weather impacting Americans 24/7 and will be fully staffed and activated beginning Sept. 12 until further notice.

Federal Aviation Administration

All actions are pre-storm and the FAA is putting in place contingency plans and response:

  • The Air Traffic Organization (ATO) has begun contingency planning and coordination with potentially affected airlines and other operators in advance of Hurricane Florence.
     
  • The Crisis Response Group is stood up and the Joint Air Traffic Operations Command (JATOC) Crisis Action Team (J-CAT) will sustain 24/7 operations until further notice.
     
  • The ATO activated the National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) Emergency Support Function (ESF-1) Aviation Element as of 11 September.
     
  • ATO has not issued any Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Special Governmental Interest (SGI) authorizations at this time but they will be posted at www.FAA.gov.

Airports in Guam and Hawaii are open with no delays or disruptions.

Federal Highway Administration

Typhoon Mangkhut 

  • The Guam Department of Public Works (DPW) and the CNMI DPW are assessing flooding and wind damage.
     
  • Guam DPW reports that efforts are underway to clear debris and replace and straighten damaged traffic signal heads; bridge scour cannot be assessed until waters recede.

Hurricane Florence

  • South Carolina:
    • A mandatory evacuation of coastal South Carolina will begin 9/11 at noon.
    • I-26 and US-501 will begin contraflow operation at noon.
    • US-278 and US-21 will be ready for contraflow operation at noon today but will be used for contraflow operation as needed.
    • Division Office Leadership briefed SCDOT leadership regarding Emergency Relief (ER) and Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) procedures.
       
  • North Carolina
    • Areas of the Outer Banks are under a mandatory evacuation order; no planned contraflow operation.
    • Division Office Leadership briefed SCDOT leadership regarding ER and EMAC procedures.
       
  • Virginia
    • A mandatory evacuation of low-lying areas of Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore began today at 8 AM; no planned contraflow operation.
    • Division Office Leadership briefed VDOT leadership regarding ER and EMAC procedures.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Regional Emergency Declarations are underway to exempt some operators from Federal regulations to address anticipated emergency transportation of supplies and relief efforts.

  • In accordance with federal regulations, FMCSA declares that an emergency exists that warrants issuance of a Regional Emergency Declaration and an exemption from certain Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, except as otherwise restricted by this Emergency Declaration. Affected States and jurisdictions included in this Emergency Declaration are: Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. This emergency declaration is needed to address anticipated emergency conditions in response to Hurricane Florence in the affected states and jurisdictions creating a need for immediate transportation of supplies, equipment and persons, and provides necessary relief. Link: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/emergency/southern-service-center-eastern-service-center-regional-emergency-declaration-under-49-cfr
     
  • This Emergency Declaration provides for emergency regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations (carriers and drivers) while providing direct assistance supporting emergency relief efforts transporting supplies, equipment, fuel and persons into and from the Affected States and jurisdictions or providing other assistance in the form of emergency services during the emergency in the Affected States and jurisdictions from Hurricane Florence.

Notice of Enforcement Discretion Determination, Regional Declaration of Emergency 2018-007

This Notice:

  • Acknowledges the severe anticipated damage from high winds, storm surge, and flooding in the Affected States set forth in Regional Declaration of Emergency 2018- 007 as a result of Hurricane Florence;
     
  • Considers the interests of safety and the immediate need to alleviate the effects of the storm;
     
  • Creates no individual rights of action and establishes no precedent for future determinations;
     
  • Is inapplicable to motor carriers whose operating authority registration is suspended or revoked.

The FMCSA has made the Emergency Declarations, Waivers, Exemptions and Permits site available for motor carriers and drivers to access up to date information on hurricane-related issues.

Federal Railroad Administration

  • The FRA Administrator has declared an emergency event pursuant to 49 CFR 211.45 based on the imminent threat posed by Hurricane Florence.  The declaration opens the emergency docket and allow railroads to directly upload requests for relief from specific regulations based on the emergency event.  The declaration also sets aside notification requirements (Federal Register Announcements and requests for comments) normally used for a waiver so that FRA can expeditiously respond to a waiver request.
     
  • Amtrak has announced Modified Service in Advance of Florence: https://www.amtrak.com/alert/servicemodifiedinadvanceofhurricaneflorence.html

Federal Transit Administration

Hurricane Florence

  • All FTA regional offices remain open, include FTA’s Region 3 office in Philadelphia and FTA Region 4 offices in Atlanta and San Juan, Puerto Rico and all FTA staff are safe and accounted for.
     
  • FTA Regions 3 and 4 have sent guidance and reporting emails to all grantees in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia in advance of Hurricane Florence. This message included instructions on the types of information FTA requests from grantees during such events.  The message also included guidance on the provision of charter service during the event, FTA’s Emergency Relief Program, and guidance on temporary relief from FTA’s administrative and statutory requirements.
     
  • Transit agencies in Region 4 have begun preparations for Hurricane Florence. For example, Chatham County, Georgia, has activated its emergency preparedness inter-agency team, which includes Chatham Area Transit (CAT), and is monitoring the hurricane. South Carolina DOT (SCDOT) has taken the lead in the managing and reporting on the transit agencies involved in the emergency throughout the state. SCDOT is working to identify transit agencies that will assist in any evacuations, as well as gathering an inventory of vehicles that could assist in emergency operations from throughout the state. Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) in Greensboro, North Carolina, is on-call with its County Emergency Management teams for needed evacuations if the central portion of the state is affected by the impending storm. There are no planned evacuations or service changes at this time. 
     
  • In Region 3, WMATA, SEPTA and the Maryland Transit Administration have begun to prepare for the storm, including securing vehicles and facilities, monitoring flood-prone areas and coordinating with local emergency officials.

Maritime Administration

FEMA submitted a Safestor, (ships used to store assets to prevent damage) request for the Norfolk, Virginia area, and MARAD received USTRANSCOM approval to use Cape Rise for Safestor. While FEMA has placed their Safestor request on hold due to the storm track uncertainty, and will continue to monitor all storms in the Atlantic basin for any further Safestor requirements; the first wave of vehicles for the City of Norfolk have arrived and are in the process of being loaded on the upper trailer deck.

MARAD is doing post-storm assessment in Guam and Hawaii. There are no delays in goods coming in and out of ports.  

Florence Preparations:

  • The MARAD Coordination Center is at Enhanced Watch monitoring Typhoon Mangkhut, Hurricanes Olivia, Florence and Issac.
     
  • MARAD’s east coast vessels have implemented their Heavy Weather Mooring Plans and remain on alert.
     
  • MARAD is coordinating several SafeStor requests to support federal and local response capabilities, including:
    • Cape Rise, Norfolk – USCG Captain of the Port Hampton Roads COOP site and FEMA Region II staging. Vessel and equipment loading began this morning.
    • Cape Domino, Charleston – local law enforcement, USTRANSCOM concurrence pending
    • Cape Ducato, Charleston -  local law enforcement, USTRANSCOM concurrence pending
       
  • MARAD has provided the FEMA Movement Coordination Center with activation and transit timelines for berthing and cargo delivery support to Puerto Rico from east and gulf coast vessels as well as to Hawaii from west coast vessels.
     
  • The MARAD Coordination Center will continue to monitor storm tracks and impacts, and liaise with the USCG on port closures, assessments, reopening and recovery operations.

MARAD Facilities:

James River Reserve Fleet Preparations:

The James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF) is an anchorage of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) located on the James River at Fort Eustis, Virginia.

  • Removed the hazwaste dumpster from the work barge alongside the Simon Lake.  The barge will be relocated to the contractor’s facility until after the storm and resume work next week.

SafeStor information can be found at: https://www.marad.dot.gov/search/SafeStor/

More on Maritime Emergency Preparedness and Response can be found at: https://www.marad.dot.gov/ports/maritime-emergency-preparedness-and-response/

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

  • Worked with FEMA and issued two cabotage waivers to carry a FEMA load (emergency relief equipment from the West Coast to Guam). One of them was for an AN-225, the largest aircraft, by freight capacity, in the world. It flew from Kiev to Oakland; loaded equipment and prepositioned in Honolulu.

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Tropical Storm Olivia:

  • No impact at this time on pipeline operators.
  • Prepared to provide regulatory relief from the Hazardous Materials Regulations as necessary.

Hurricane Florence:

  • No impact at this time; pipeline operators’ hurricane plans are in place.
  • We are prepared to provide any necessary regulatory relief from the Hazardous Material regulations and waive certain pipeline Operator Qualifications/and pre-employment requirements in support of hurricane response and/or recovery. 

 

Last updated: Wednesday, September 12, 2018