The Transportation Challenges and Natural Disasters Forum at the ITE Annual Meeting and Exhibit was moderated by Steve Cyra. The first presentation was given by John Nisbet with Washington State. Nisbet spoke on planning and the continuity of operations and the ETO Keys to Success—relationships, base document to guide operations, and training (i.e., making sure you know how to keep in contact with people in the field). Dave McCormick, also with Washington State, presented on “Emergency Response Case Studies” and elements that affect incidents such as seismic vulnerability, topography and how prone a region is to fire.
McCormick presented case studies on two recent disasters—SR 530 Slide (March 2014) and the Skagit River Bridge Collapse (May 2013). McCormick explained that after the collapse of the Skagit River Bridge, traffic was restored within a few months and by November increased vertical clearance was complete (3 1/2 months later, the span was completely redone). He said that the traffic management center worked with trained staff as well as Washington State patrol to get information to residents about the bridge collapse.
According to Mr. McCormick, some of the main factors that need to be in place during natural disaster emergencies include having adequate staff in place, having a debris management plan, patrol alternate routes for traffic, have federal early release money (which is very effective) and that clear internal responsibilities among agencies is helpful as well. The transportation community and technical community need to communicate to the public, particularly when an emergency is taking place. It is also important to get the Secretary of Transportation for the region out to communicate to public as soon as possible and make sure partnerships are developed well before any incidents occur.